System and method for managing the generation of brewed beverages using shared resources

ABSTRACT

A system that generates brewed beverages may receive requests to produce specified brewed beverages. The system may include a scheduler that initiates and controls the performance of one or more chemical or mechanical processes to produce the beverages. While one chemical or mechanical process for producing a beverage is being performed, other processes may be performed for production of the beverage or another beverage. The scheduler may determine the time at which to perform each process, the time at which a beverage should be presented, the resources to be used to perform the processes, or the time at which to perform a cleaning process, dependent on an actual or expected demand for beverages, or dependent on a target time for beverage retrieval. Shared resources may be applied to the production of beverages for high priority orders, while partially completed beverages for lower priority orders are staged for subsequent advancement.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.13/328,571, entitled “System and Method for Managing the Generation ofBrewed Beverages Using Shared Resources,” which was filed on Dec. 16,2011, names Charles F. Studor, J. Kevin Nater, and Marwan M. Hassoun asinventors, and which claims priority to U.S. Provisional ApplicationSer. No. 61/423,593, entitled “Apparatus and Method for Brewed andEspresso Drink Generation”, which was filed on Dec. 16, 2010, and whichnames Charles F. Studor, J. Kevin Nater, and Marwan Hassoun asinventors, the content of which is incorporated by reference herein inits entirety.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Disclosure

This disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for brewing anddispensing beverages, and more particularly to automated systems andmethods for scheduling, producing, and dispensing brewed beverages usingshared process modules, process profiling, customer profiling, and/ordemand information.

2. Description of the Related Art

Most coffee consumed outside of the home requires either experiencedbaristas, or expensive automated espresso machines. Both requiresignificant capital to equip the retail setting, as well as logisticalchallenges with hiring and training personnel. The resulting retaillocations require ongoing operating costs that dominate the costsassociated with delivering high quality coffee. Alternatively, vendingmachines remove much of the cost and management difficulties, but thecoffee quality suffers.

SUMMARY

In various embodiments, a system that generates brewed beverages byperforming one or more chemical and/or mechanical processes may receiverequests to produce specified brewed beverages through any inputmechanism of the system, including, but not limited to, an input devicethat is co-located with the process modules for producing the beveragesor an interface mechanism that receives requests made through a remotecommunication mechanism (e.g., a web interface or smartphoneapplication). For example, an order for one or more specified beveragesmay represent a single transaction that includes an expected orrequested beverage pick up time, or an order for one or more specifiedbeverages may represent a regular or standing order that includes apre-determined schedule of two or more times at which the specifiedbrewed beverage(s) will be retrieved. As used herein, the term “brewedbeverage” may refer to any beverage produced, at least in part, by anorganic extraction process (including, but not limited to, espresso,coffee, tea, or chai), and which may or may not be combined with one ormore other ingredients (including, but limited to, milk, soy milk,almond milk, flavorings, syrups, sweeteners or other additives).

In some embodiments, the system may include a master controller thatinitiates and controls performance of the chemical and/or mechanicalprocesses to produce the specified beverages. The master controller mayadaptively apply various process accelerators (e.g., pressure,ultrasonic energy, steam, temperature, and/or the position of a vesselcontaining the beverage or a component thereof) during the performanceof one or more of the chemical or mechanical processes to accelerate theprocess or to achieve a desired qualitative or quantitativecharacteristic for a brewed beverage or a component thereof.

In some embodiments, the adaptive application of process accelerators toone of the chemical or mechanical processes may be dependent on amultiple-variable process profile developed for the process and/or aspecified beverage. A process profile may map a result of the process tothe values of multiple variables (e.g., temperature, pressure, volume,or various characteristics of the input ingredients) over the time ittakes to perform the process, and may be used to optimize the process toachieve a desired qualitative characteristic of the beverage or acomponent thereof. For example, in one embodiment the pressure in asteam wand and/or the depth of the wand may be varied during a processto froth milk in order to produce frothed milk having a desiredtemperature. In another example, the release of carbon dioxide fromgrinds may be accelerated by the application of ultrasonic energy duringthe espresso process, in some embodiments.

In some embodiments, while one chemical or mechanical process forproducing a beverage is being performed, other chemical and/ormechanical processes may be performed for the production of one or moreother beverages. In some embodiments, a master controller (or scheduler)in the system may determine the time at which to perform each of thechemical and/or mechanical processes used to produce a particular brewedbeverage, the time at which a finished beverage should be presented forpick up (e.g., by a customer), and/or the resources to be used toperform the processes dependent on an actual or expected demand forbeverages, and/or dependent on a requested or target time for retrievalof the beverage. For example, in some embodiments, the scheduler mayspeculatively and/or preemptively schedule the production of variousbeverages based on a customer-specific demand history or asystem-specific demand history.

In some embodiments, shared resources may be applied to the productionof beverages for high priority orders (e.g., orders placed at thelocation of the beverage generation system), while partially completedbeverages for lower priority orders (e.g., remotely placed orders,standing orders, pre-orders, or speculatively placed orders) are stagedfor subsequent advancement through the beverage generation process.

In some embodiments, determining when to present a completed brewedbeverage may include determining whether a customer on whose behalf thebeverage was made is currently in the vicinity of the beveragegeneration system and is ready and able to retrieve the brewed beverage.If the customer is not ready or able to retrieve a completed beverage,it may be stored in a staging area that is maintained at a particulartemperature until the customer is ready to retrieve it.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a system for brewing anddispensing coffee, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates various interconnected components of a system forbrewing and dispensing coffee, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method forproducing different types of beverages by adaptively applying one ormore chemical or mechanical processes to raw ingredients.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of a system forproducing and dispensing brewed beverages.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating one embodiment of an espressounit, as described herein.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an embodiment of an espresso unitthat includes a sintered filter.

FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method forproducing espresso.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating some of the operations of anespresso unit during a first step of an espresso process, according tosome embodiments.

FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustrating some of the operations of anespresso unit during a second stage of an espresso process, according tosome embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram illustrating some of the operations of theespresso unit during an extraction operation, according to someembodiments.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating water being dispensed into abrewing chamber under low pressure during an extraction process,according to some embodiments.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating the pressurization of an upperchamber of a brew tube as part of an espresso process, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 13 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method forfrothing milk.

FIG. 14 is a block diagram illustrating the use of a solid funnel todirect coffee through the center of a brewing chamber during the brewingprocess, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a block diagram illustrating a brewing chamber that includesa solid funnel and that is turned upside down for a cleaning process,according to one embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating the flipping motion of a brewingchamber from a brewing position to a cleaning position, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram illustrating a mechanism for rotating abrewing chamber, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating a brewing chamber as it rotates,according to one embodiment.

FIG. 19 is a block diagram illustrating an espresso unit in which thebrewing chamber has been rotated in preparation for cleaning, accordingto one embodiment.

FIG. 20 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method forperforming a cleaning process in a beverage brewing system.

FIGS. 21 and 22 are block diagrams illustrating a clean-in-placeprocess, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 23 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method forproducing brewed beverages according to a multiple-variable processprofile.

FIG. 24 is a process optimization graph illustrating a multiple-variableoptimization profile for a frothing process, according to oneembodiment.

FIG. 25 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method forscheduling and carrying out the production of brewed beverages.

FIG. 26 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method forscheduling and carrying out the production of brewed beverages based ondemand history.

FIG. 27 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method forutilizing shared resources when producing a brewed beverage.

FIG. 28 is a flow diagram illustrating one embodiment of a method forsharing system resources when producing multiple brewed beverages.

FIG. 29 is a block diagram illustrating various interconnected modulesof an automated coffee kiosk, according to one embodiment.

FIG. 30 is a block diagram illustrating a representation of a front viewof the configuration of modular components in an automated coffee kiosk,according to one embodiment.

FIG. 31 is a block diagram illustrating a representation of a rear viewof the configuration of modular components in an automated coffee kiosk,according to one embodiment.

FIG. 32 is a block diagram of a computer system configured to control asystem for brewing and dispensing coffee, according to one embodiment.

While various embodiments are described herein by way of example forseveral embodiments and illustrative drawings, those skilled in the artwill recognize that embodiments are not limited to the embodiments ordrawings described. It should be understood that the drawings anddetailed description thereto are not intended to limit the embodimentsto the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention isto cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling withinthe spirit and scope of the disclosure. Any headings used herein are fororganizational purposes only and are not meant to be used to limit thescope of the description. As used throughout this application, the word“may” is used in a permissive sense (i.e., meaning having the potentialto), rather than the mandatory sense (i.e., meaning must). Similarly,the words “include”, “including”, and “includes” mean including, but notlimited to.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The system and methods described herein, and the business model theysuggest, may reduce the capital requirements and operating costs, yetproduce a quality of coffee that rivals custom coffee shops. This mayenable rapid scaling of the operation to many locations with minimalcapital and employees.

This system described herein may in some embodiments be implemented as afully automated kiosk used to serve brewed beverages (e.g., hot or coldbrewed beverages), one of which may be coffee. The system may reduce thefixed overhead associated with serving high quality beverages as well asthe capital required to create a point of sale (POS) or kiosk unit. Thesystem and methods described herein may create a high quality coffeedrink while eliminating the need for expert barristers, and may maximizethe intervals between services by a technician. Various factorsaffecting the quality of hot beverages include consistency in the brewcycle, consistency in water temperature, the final service temperature,the rate at which the water passes through the coffee grounds, and themulti-stage filtering process.

The rate at which the water flows through the grounds is closely tied tothe filter system. If the water remains in contact with the grounds fortoo long a time, it becomes bitter. If it passes too quickly through thegrounds, it lacks robust flavor. In addition, a filter that allows thewater to pass quickly also allows fine grounds to pass through thefilter into the final product. Those grounds continue to “brew” in thefinished product, releasing compounds that turn the coffee bitter overtime. Paper filters that catch the fine grounds often cause the water toremain in contact with the coffee for too long, causing bitter flavors.In some cases, paper filters can themselves add unwanted flavors, or cantrap or filter out some of the flavorful oils that otherwise produce aquality “mouth feel” in the final product. Paper filters also presentmaintenance challenges and costs related to the material and replacementlabor. Metal gold filters alone provide good water flow, but they allowfine grounds to remain with the final coffee product and may turn thecoffee bitter and/or gritty when consumed. The system and methodsdescribed herein for generating brewed beverages may reduce or eliminateany adverse effects on the taste of the beverages that are introduced bythese and other commonly used filters.

The systems described herein for brewing and dispensing coffee and/orother beverages may use customer profiling to select beverages to beproduced and presented to the customer and/or messages to be displayedto the customer, based on stored customer-specific information. Thesystems for brewing and dispensing coffee may include a user interfacemechanism that receives input identifying a given customer. The systemsmay include a controller that selects one of a plurality of standard orcustom drink recipes dependent on the identity of the given customer,and initiates production of a brewed beverage using the selected drinkrecipe, in some embodiments. For example, the input identifying thegiven customer may be received from a card reader, a radio frequencyidentification reader, a video capture device, a microphone, a keyboard,a soft keyboard, or a touch screen, in various embodiments. Eachstandard or custom drink recipe may specify an amount of two or moreingredients in a respective brewed beverage (e.g., water, coffeegrounds, flavorings, dairy products, etc.)

In selecting the drink recipe, the controller may be configured toaccess information indicating one or more drink preferences of the givencustomer from a data structure that stores customer-specificinformation. In some embodiments, the data structure may be stored on aloyalty card, debit card, or gift card and may be accessed using theuser interface mechanism. In other embodiments, the data structure maybe stored on a remote system, and the system may include an interfaceconfigured to communicate with the remote system to retrieve this and/orother customer-specific information stored in the data structure. Forexample, in some embodiments, the data structure may be a centraldatabase accessible to a plurality of systems for brewing and dispensingcoffee, and the database may store customer-specific information for aplurality of customers. The customer-specific information may alsoinclude one or more of: a customer identifier, account information, apurchase history, one or more custom drink recipes, one or morepreferred standard drink recipes, a history of received messages, or anemail address. In some embodiments, the user interface mechanism may beused to display all or a portion of the customer-specific information.

In some embodiments, the controller may be configured to select one ormore messages to be displayed to the given customer dependent on theidentity of the given customer, and these messages may be displayedusing the user interface mechanism. In some embodiments, the userinterface mechanism may also display the temperature of a brewedbeverage, the temperature having been determined by the controller. Insome embodiments, the user interface mechanism may be configured todetect the presence of the given customer, e.g., using an RFID reader orproximity sensor. The user interface may be further configured toreceive input indicating the selection of a standard drink recipepreviously ordered by the given customer, a custom drink recipepreviously ordered by the given customer, and/or a customization of astandard or custom drink recipe previously ordered by the givencustomer. A drink customization may include an ingredient to be added tothe standard or custom drink recipe, an ingredient to be removed fromthe standard or custom drink recipe, or a change in an amount of aningredient of the standard or custom drink recipe, in some embodiments.

One embodiment of a system for brewing and dispensing coffee isillustrated by the block diagram in FIG. 1. In some embodiments, theentire assembly may be housed in a stand-alone kiosk, or a walkup kioskattached to another structure or some other housing. At a system level,various combinations of the components illustrated in FIG. 1 and othercomponents may allow for a fully automated kiosk that goes from groundcoffee or beans as an input to a fully lidded coffee cup. In otherembodiments, any or all of the methods and mechanisms described here maybe applied to systems located in offices that provide coffee foremployees, in homes, or in other applications. They may also be appliedto other applications where low overhead costs and low maintenance arepriorities, but vending machine quality coffee is not sufficient.

As shown in the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the system may include acoffee expressor 104, which takes water as an input (e.g., from a watersupply 102), brews coffee using any or all of the component andtechniques described herein, and stores base coffee product. The watermay be supplied directly from a city water supply, or it may be storedin a storage tank that is located such that gravity provides the flow ofwater to the expressor and/or to an initial filter stage. The system mayalso include a finisher 110, which takes the base coffee product 108 asan input and customizes the coffee product, such as by addingsweeteners, diary (e.g., cold or steamed/frothed milk), flavored syrups,and/or ice, per the customer's specification. The system may alsoinclude a cup handler and lid dispenser 114, which takes the customizedcoffee product 112 as an input and packages it as a final product in acup with a lid 122.

Waste produced by the system (e.g., waste produced by the coffeeexpressor portion of the system, shown as 106 in FIG. 1) may be directedto a city waste water service, or it may go through a screen filterstage such that only the liquid waste is directed to the city wastewater service and the resulting dry waste grounds are collected when theunit is serviced. Additionally, a waste tank may be employed, e.g., whencity wastewater service is not available.

As shown in the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the system may includeone or more user interfaces 132. For example, user interfaces 132 mayinclude one or more of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a touch screenLCD (e.g., a 15-inch touch screen LCD), a cathode ray tube (CRT), aplasma display, or any other display/monitor device, a credit card andloyalty card reader, a radio frequency identification (RFID) reader, acoin acceptor, a printer, a loyalty card dispenser, a microphone, aspeaker, a keyboard, and/or a soft keyboard). In some embodiments, aninteractive display may accept customer orders, and may interact with amaster controller 126, a coin/credit card acceptor, and/or a receiptprinter. In some embodiments, a gift card/reward card dispenser may beincluded, and may be controlled by the master controller 126. In someembodiments, multiple order entry touch screens may exist on one kiosk,and/or the main extraction and storage tank may serve multipledispensing stations within the same kiosk. Additional displays may beemployed for point of sale advertising, in some embodiments.

Other embodiments may include any or all of these user interfaces or anyother user interface configured to allow a customer or technician tointeract with the system. For example, the customer or technician may beprompted to input data (e.g. data indicating a selection of a function,operation, or customization to be performed, or selection of a brewedbeverage to be produced) by a message displayed by the user interfacemechanism. As shown in this example, the system may also include a drinkpresenter 134, which may provide a conveyor to a portal at which thecustomer may retrieve the final product (e.g., a particular brewedbeverage).

As shown in the example illustrated in FIG. 1, the system may include acentral master controller 126, which may coordinate all customerinterfaces, machine controls and feedback (e.g., control and feedbackillustrated at 116, 118, 120, 128, and 130 in FIG. 1), and communicationto a host server and/or database. For example, all valves, heaters,pumps, servo motors, flow control mechanisms, and/or other mechanicalcomponents of the system may controlled by the master controller, asdescribed below. In addition, the status of any or all components of thesystem may be observable by a remote host through the master controllerand/or an interface thereof. For example, in some embodiments, themaster controller may communicate with a host server and/or database ata remote location through an Internet connection, such as thatillustrated as element 124 in FIG. 1. The operations of the mastercontroller and other components of the system are described in moredetail below, according to various embodiments.

The system described herein (specifically, the coffee expressor portionof the system) may in some embodiments include a “selection box” thatinterrupts the flow of the extracted coffee, as described in more detailbelow. Such a selection box may also allow for automatic cleaning of therotating initial filter. In some embodiments, the system may include afirst stage gravity filter and a second stage gravity filter or storagetank (e.g., a storage tank that also serves as a second stage gravityfilter). Additional components not illustrated in FIG. 1 may performother functions as part of producing a brewed beverage and/or mayprovide final customization and delivery of the end product.

In some embodiments, the system described herein may use a three-stagefilter process that allows the coffee to pass through the grounds at theappropriate rate using an initial gold metal filter. The coffee may thenpass through two additional filter stages using gravity filters beforethe end product is customized as specified by the end customer withadditional water, syrup, sweetener, ice, and/or dairy to create thefinal product for serving. In some embodiments, a selection box may beused to cut off the flow of coffee exiting the initial gold metal filteras the brewed or “expressed” coffee enters the first gravity filter.Once in place, the selection box may redirect the flow of coffee exitingthe initial gold filter into a waste container at the moment when thewater has been in contact with the grounds long enough to get themaximum yield, yet before any bitter flavors begin to be extracted. Thismay allow for only the least-bitter “first press” coffee to enter thefirst gravity filter.

In some embodiments, a selection box may also serve during the cleaningcycle of the gold filter. The sliding selection box may be thought of ashaving a shoe box shape, and may be made of stainless steel or othernon-corrosive material, with no top and no end panels, only the longsides. With the selection box located under the gold filter, the goldfilter may be rotated and water jets may be sprayed at both the interiorand exterior of the filter. The used grounds may flow out of theinverted filter, onto the selection box (which may be mounted at anacute angle, such as 45°), and the grounds and cleaning water may thenflow into the waste container. The gold filter may be rotated back intoits original position and reloaded with grounds from a container,hopper, or a grinder. This process may be repeated multiple times tofill the current gravity filter. Once the current first gravity filteris full, a rotating funnel located below the selection box may berepositioned to the next first gravity filter. That next first gravityfilter may be emptied into the storage tank, its waste discarded, andthat next first filter is ready for the next express (brew) cycle.

In some embodiments, the coffee may flow from the gold filter into thefirst gravity filter. Once in the first gravity filter, the coffee maybe allowed to rest for a predetermined amount of time (e.g., for 10minutes or longer). The first gravity filter may be a cylindrical tube,with two valves, one located at the bottom of the tube, and another thatdirects coffee out of the gravity filter into a vertical tube in thestorage tank. The valve may be located near the bottom of the firstgravity filter, e.g., a few inches from the bottom of the first gravityfilter. In some embodiments, the bottom of the gravity filter may beformed in a cone shape to direct the grounds to the lowest point in thegravity filter.

During the resting period, the fine grounds suspended in the coffee mayfall out of solution and rest at the bottom of the gravity filter. Thecoffee may be drained out of the first gravity filter into the secondgravity filter, which may also be referred to as the storage tank. Thedrain used in the first gravity filter that is connected to the storagetank may be located near the base of the first gravity filter, e.g., afew inches above the base of the first gravity filter. After thefiltered coffee is drained into the storage tank, the remaining coffeeand fine grounds in the first filter may be drained to a wastecontainer. In some embodiments, there may be a multitude of firstgravity filters. For example, in one embodiment, ten first gravityfilters may be used and they may form a ring around the storage tank. Insuch embodiments, a selection funnel may direct the coffee out of thegold filter into one of these first gravity filters. Once one gravityfilter is filled, the selection funnel may be rotated to another gravityfilter. That next gravity filter may be emptied into the storage tank.With its waste discarded, it may be ready to receive another batch fromthe gold filter. In some embodiments, it may take on the order of oneminute to process coffee through the gold filter and to perform thecleaning and reloading cycles. In this example, when the gold filter isworking 100% of the time, it may be able to fill ten first gravityfilters and still allow each gravity filter to have ten minutes ofsettling time before it is emptied into the storage tank and the wastedisposed. Depending on the ratio of the volume of the first gravityfilter and the volume expressed through the gold filter, multiple passesthrough the gold filter may be needed to fill the first gravity filter.The number of first gravity filters, setting time, and cycle time mayvary, in different embodiments.

Conceptually, the same process used in the first gravity filter may beapplied in a second gravity filter or storage tank. In some embodiments,the storage tank may actually provide two additional gravity filterstages: one in the entry tubes that are connected to the external firststage gravity filters, and a second one in the main body of the storagetank, where additional settling may occur. The finest of grounds may beexpelled out the bottom of the storage tank, in some embodiments.

In some embodiments, both the first and second gravity filters may bemaintained at a pre-determined optimum serving temperature, such asbetween 120° F. and 160° F. For example, in one embodiment, thetemperature may be maintained by maintaining the environment surroundingthe two filters at 140° F. The indirect heating process may keep thefinal product from ever being in contact with heating elements thatcould add bitterness to the end product. This may also be achieved withblanket heaters or other indirect means, in various embodiments. In someembodiments, the temperature at which the tanks are maintained may bedetermined and controlled in a manner such that the system providesbeverages at a suitable exit temperature, i.e. one that meets bothhealth standards and customer acceptance standards.

In some embodiments, as the coffee enters the second gravity filter orstorage tank, it may enter a vertical tube. As it enters, the new coffeemay expel the existing contents of the tube out of a valve or holelocated near the bottom of the tube. The coffee that was in the tube mayhave had a second period (e.g., an additional ten minutes) to do anadditional gravity filter operation. In one embodiment, there may be tenof these tubes inside the storage tank, and each one may be associatedwith one of ten first gravity filters. The tubes may contain a valve atthe bottom that is opened to drain out waste and allow the tubes toserve as storage during low demand periods. The drain in the tube thatallows the coffee to enter the storage tank may be located near thebottom of the tube. In some embodiments, the bottom of the tube may belocated near the bottom of the storage tank so that the fine grounds donot get reintroduced to the body of the coffee stored in the storagetank. In some embodiments, the contents at the bottom of the tube may beexpelled directly into the waste container.

In some embodiments, the finest grounds that fall out of solution mayrest at the bottom of the storage tank. As noted above, the bottom ofthe storage tank may be formed in a conical shape, in such embodiments.At the lowest point of the cone there may be a drain valve. The drainvalve may be opened periodically to allow the finest of grounds to exitthe storage container, keeping them from turning the coffee in thestorage tank bitter. In some embodiments, baffles may be used tominimize currents induced when releasing coffee from one gravity filterto another.

In some embodiments, the storage tank may then contain the core productthat may be customized and dispensed. For example, the contents of thestorage tank may be used as a base product in a way similar to the wayespresso coffee is used as a base for many final products, such asAmericano, cappuccino, etc. In some embodiments, a software program maybe employed to analyze the amount of time that the coffee has been inthe tank, along with historical demand data, to determine if and whenthe system should be flushed and new coffee introduced.

In some embodiments, a final customization step may be associated withthe delivery of the end product. When the coffee is ready to bedelivered, a valve located a few inches from the bottom of the storagetank may be opened to deliver the appropriate amount of coffee. Thecoffee may be delivered either directly into a coffee cup, or into acontainer where additional liquids such as additional hot water, hotmilk, cold milk, sweeteners, or flavored syrups, or dried creamer, ice,or other items are added to customize the drink before delivery into thefinal cup, in various embodiments. The coffee cups may be manipulated bya cup-handling machine such as that described in expired U.S. Pat. Nos.4,989,753 and 5,000,345, or by any other suitable standard or custom cuphandling mechanism. Once the mixture is complete, lids may be applied tothe cups using a lid applicator similar to that described in expiredU.S. Pat. No. 4,949,526, or by any other suitable standard or custom lidapplicator mechanism.

In some embodiments, the system may support the dispensing of hot milk,either as a final product or as an ingredient in another beverage. Tosupport hot milk dispensing, cold milk may be stored in refrigeratedtanks. When needed, a valve may be open, causing the milk to flowthrough a preheated pipe. The pipe may have an air vent at a pointelevated above the valve. As the milk flows through the heated pipe,heat may be transferred to the milk. When the milk exits the pipe, itmay be at the service temperature. Note that, as described in moredetail below, in other embodiments the system may include one or morefrothing units to provide steamed, frothed milk as an ingredient invarious hot beverages.

Once the desired amount of milk is dispensed, the valve at the storagetank may be closed, the remaining milk may be drained from the heaterpipe, and a second selection box (similar to the one used at the goldfilter) may interrupt the flow of milk into the customer's cup. Once theflow is interrupted, a cleaning cycle may begin for the heater. Duringthe cleaning cycle, hot water may be allowed to flow into the top of theheater pipe at a location very close to the milk valve. Water may beallowed to flow through the pipe and the waste may be directed away fromthe customer's cup. The water valve may be closed once the heater pipeis rinsed. After a period of time, the selection box may be moved backinto its resting position and the heater pipe may be pre-heated for thenext service. Note that in various embodiments, this process andequipment may be repeated/duplicated for each type of milk (e.g., whole,soy, low-fat, non-fat, etc.), or there may be multiple sources to thepipe heater, which would share one heater. Similarly, the system mayinclude multiple instances of the frothing unit described below, some ofwhich may be used to provide a specific type of milk (e.g., whole, soy,low-fat, non-fat, etc.), or a single frothing unit may be a sharedresource usable to steam and/or froth two or more different types ofmilk.

In various embodiments, a master controller (which is sometimes referredto herein as a scheduler) may control all servos, actuators, valves, andvarious sensors of the system during production of drinks by the system.The master controller may also be configured to receive and analyze datacollected by these sensors to determine the state of the machine, rawmaterial volumes on hand, current activity, etc. This data may beperiodically (or on demand) uploaded by the master controller to a hostserver that presents data on a multitude of machines to the operator.For example, the master controller may be configured to monitor weightsin containers, monitor temperatures, control heating elements, check forfaults, control a touch screen interface, and communicate through theInternet or by phone to report status and to communicate alerts to ahost computer. The master controller may also be configured to acceptqueries from the host and/or to validates credit cards and gift cardsthrough interaction with a host database, in some embodiments. Invarious embodiments, additional levels of hierarchy may be implementedsuch that different hosts may be configured to communicate with varioussubsets of all operating systems. For example, there may be one hostserver configured to communicate with multiple instances of the coffeebrewing system in a particular region, or associated with a givenoperator, or having any other common attribute(s). A plurality of suchhost servers may be configured to communicate with a central host (e.g.,a company-wide host server), in some embodiments.

FIG. 2 illustrates various interconnected components of the systemdescribed herein, according to one embodiment. In this example, all ofthe illustrated components, many of which are described herein, areconnected to a central interconnect 218 (e.g., a communication bus). Itis through this interconnect that the master controller 204 may receivefeedback and other inputs from the other components of the system (e.g.,coffee expressor 202, cup handler 220, lid dispenser 222, finisher 224,presenter 226, and/or final product collection location 210) and mayissue commands (e.g., in the form of machine instructions or signalvalues) to those components. In various embodiments, one or more userinterfaces, such as a touch screen 216, proximity sensor 234, audiointerface 232 (including a microphone and/or speaker), video capturedevice 230, RFID reader 228, receipt printer 208, coin/billacceptor/changer 206, credit card/loyalty card reader 212, and/orloyalty card dispenser 214, may provide a customer interface and/ormaintenance interface, as controlled by the master controller 204. Whilethe master controller 204 is illustrated as a single component in FIG.2, in some embodiments, the functionality of the master controllerdescribed herein may be partitioned between two or more components thattogether provide this functionality. For example, in some embodiments,the master controller may include a separable motor and/or valvecontroller that is dedicated to controlling the valves, motors, andother mechanical elements of the system. This separable component mayinclude trim controllers, for example. Various functions of the mastercontroller may be implemented by hardware, software, or by a combinationof hardware and software, in various embodiments.

In some embodiments, the system described herein may be configured tosupport various business processes. For example, a customer loyaltyprocess may be employed whereby the customer purchases a loyalty “debitcard”. The unique id of the debit card once inserted in the system (andread by a loyalty card reader) may be compared to a central database(e.g., on a remote host system). For example, in some embodiments, aplurality of kiosks may be configured to communicate with a centraldatabase on a remote host system and to store information in the centraldatabase and/or retrieve information from the central database to sharecustomer profile information (e.g., customer-specific preferences andpurchase histories) between the kiosks. In one embodiment, the previous“n” purchases from the debit card may be displayed with each drink'scustomization (i.e. drink type, quantity of syrup, sweetener type andquantity, dairy additive and quantity) and cost along with the valueleft on the debit card. In some embodiments, the loyalty cards may alsobe dispensed and/or refilled at the system and may double as gift cards.Loyalty cards may also be refilled online, in some embodiments.

In some embodiments, customers having loyalty cards may be able to sharetheir favorite drink combination with their friends. In suchembodiments, each loyalty debit card may be associated with customeridentifier and/or another identifier of a user account, e.g., an emailaccount/address. Users may be able to login into a web site hosted bythe central server from home or their cell phone. From there, amongother things, they may view their recent purchases, give a name to anyof their recent orders, and then forward their “drink file” (named forexample drinkname.exc) to friends either by email, to a phone, orthrough a social networking sites. In some embodiments, the host systemmay track the distribution and/or reuse of customers' drink recipes, andrewards (e.g., free drinks) may be awarded to creators of highly usedrecipes. In some embodiments, the files in which drink recipes arestored may adhere to a particular file format, and/or the contents ofthose files (the recipes) may follow a particular syntax for specifyingdrink recipes (e.g., a file format and/or syntax readable by the mastercontroller).

In some embodiments, messages may be delivered to customers during thecustomization and product delivery time. These messages may followstandard story boards, and may be customized for the individualcustomer. The system may be configured to deliver a sequence ofmessages, and the last step in that sequence that was displayed to thecustomer may be stored each time the customer visited any of the kiosks.For example, an indicator of the last message displayed may be thoughtof as a “bookmark” in the corresponding storyboard. Such a bookmarkindicator may be stored in profile data associated with the customer toindicate the point in the sequence at which the most recent interactionwith the customer ended. In such embodiments, each time the customervisits one of the kiosks, they may receive new information that is incontext with the previous information that they received (e.g., thatbegins at the point of a previously stored bookmark indicator), or inthe context of a previous or current drink order (e.g., dependent on thedrink recipe, drink customizations, or other options selected by thecustomer when visiting the kiosk). The information may also be tailoredbased on the particular tastes of the customer. In some embodiments,philanthropic choices may be presented to the customer, i.e. to selectone of “n” non-profits that they would wish to be supported on theirbehalf. For example, the screen may display the names and/or logos often non-profits being supported in the month. The customer may be ableto select one or more and be presented with information about them(e.g., by selecting an active link displayed within a message on a touchscreen). Active links may also be used in other messages (e.g.,advertising messages or other types of story boards) to allow thecustomer to access additional information according to theirpreferences. These choices may lead to further tailoring of themessage(s) presented to the customer on this or another visit.

Making Multiple Beverages with One Apparatus

In various embodiments, the systems and methods described herein mayallow a single apparatus to brew multiple types of beverages, as well asespresso. For example, the apparatus may include a variety of processmodules, each of which performs a chemical or mechanical process thatcontributes to the production of brewed beverages and/or to theefficient operation of the apparatus itself. Note that in some cases,temperature and pressure may be catalysts to various ones of thechemical and mechanical processes performed by the beverage generationapparatus. In some embodiments, the introduction of ultrasonic energy toa chemical or mechanical process may reduce the required temperatureand/or pressure to perform the process. This may, in turn, alter thechemical/mechanical process and/or may alter the end flavor of thebeverage, e.g., by avoiding negative side effects that can be caused byexcessive temperature and/or pressure. In some embodiments, theapplication of ultrasonic energy at specific points in time (e.g.,during the extraction process) may be used to accelerate, amplify, oremphasize the process, which may enhance the beneficial chemical and/ormechanical reactions, while de-emphasizing detrimental processes. Forexample, through fine control of the rate of extraction through anentire extraction process the flavor profile of the resultant espressoproduct may be fine-tuned. In other words, by adaptively applying anultrasonic process, the beverage generation apparatus may be able toreduce the temperature at which beverages are made. The resultinglower-temperature beverage generation process may not draw out anyunappetizing compounds, and may thus reduce or eliminate bitter tastesthat might otherwise be introduced into the beverages that are produced.

In some embodiments, adaptively changing the pressure at specific pointsin time during one of the chemical and/or mechanical processes may alsobe used for fine-tuning the beverage generation process and/or itsresults. For example, in one embodiment, a single filter plate may beused for, but the pressure in the system may be changed (for aparticular process or during the course of a particular process) inorder to make brewed beverages, espresso, or other drinks. In anotherexample, a process for brewing tea may have a different pressure andtemperature profile than a process for brewing coffee, but both mayutilize the same beverage generation apparatus and/or various ones ofthe process modules included therein. In general, any organic extractionprocess may be performed efficiently using the systems and methoddescribed herein and may be further customized by the system for aparticular intended result, e.g., based on customer preference andeconomic benefits.

One embodiment of a method for producing different types of beverages byadaptively applying one or more chemical or mechanical processes to rawingredients is illustrated by the flow diagram in FIG. 3. As illustratedin this example, the method may include receiving a request to produce aspecified brewed beverage, as in 310, and initiating the performance ofa chemical or mechanical process that is a step in producing thespecified beverage from the raw ingredients for the beverage, as in 320.If a recipe for producing the specified beverage or a profile associatedwith the chemical or mechanical process indicates that pressure shouldbe applied during the performance of the process, shown as the positiveexit from 330, the method may include applying pressure while performingthe process, according to the applicable process profile and/or beveragerecipe, as in 335. For example, in some embodiments, a chemical ormechanical process may be adapted for application to the production ofspecific beverages and/or for the production of various beverages underspecific environmental or machine conditions by applying a fixed orvariable amount of pressure to the process. If no applicable recipe orprocess profile exists for the beverage or process, or if a recipe orprocess profile does not indicate that pressure (e.g., pressure otherthan a default or standard amount of pressure applied during theprocess) should be applied during the process, shown as the negativeexit from 330, no additional pressure should be applied during theprocess.

As described herein, in some embodiments, the results of a chemical ormechanical process may be improved by accelerating the process (e.g.,using ultrasonic transducers). As illustrated in FIG. 3, if the resultsof the process can be improved by accelerating the process usingultrasonic energy, shown as the positive exit from 340, ultrasonicenergy (e.g., a fixed or variable amount of ultrasonic energy) may beapplied during the process, as in 350. If the results of the chemical ormechanical process cannot be improved by the application of ultrasonicenergy, or if the system does not include ultrasonic transducersconfigured to accelerate the particular chemical or mechanical process,shown as the negative exit from 340, no ultrasonic energy may be appliedduring the process. If additional processes are required to produce thespecified beverage, shown as the positive exit from 360, the operationsillustrated in 320-350 of FIG. 3 may be repeated for each of thechemical and/or mechanical processes performed in producing thespecified beverage. This is illustrated in FIG. 3 by the feedback from360 to 320. Once all of the processes required to produce the specifiedbeverage have been performed, shown as the negative exit from 360, themethod may include presenting the specified beverage for retrieval, asin 370.

One embodiment of a system for producing and dispensing brewed beveragesis illustrated by the block diagram in FIG. 4. In various embodiments,the entire assembly (illustrated as system 400) may be housed in astand-alone kiosk, may be configured as a walkup kiosk attached toanother structure, or may be contained in another type of housing. At asystem level, various combinations of the components illustrated in FIG.4 and other components may allow for a fully automated kiosk thatgenerates a brewed beverage using ground coffee or beans as an input andproducing a beverage in a lidded coffee cup. In some embodiments, thecomponents illustrated in FIG. 4 may be similar to correspondingcomponents illustrated in FIG. 1, e.g., they may perform the same (orsimilar) functions as the corresponding components of FIG. 1. In variousembodiments, any or all of the methods and mechanisms described here maybe applied to systems located in offices that provide coffee foremployees, in homes, or in other applications. As previously noted, theymay also be applied in other situations in which low overhead costs andlow maintenance are priorities, but vending machine quality coffee isnot sufficient.

As shown in the example illustrated in FIG. 4, system 400 may receiveexternal inputs to the beverage production processes, including water(e.g., through water supply 402), high-pressure gas (404), and beverageingredients (406). In other embodiments, these inputs to the beverageproduction processes may be sourced from within system 400 (e.g., froman internal water tank, internal gas tank, and/or internal ingredientstorage tanks). System 400 may include an espresso unit 410 (which mayproduce a coffee base 415), a frothing unit 450 (which may heat and/orfroth milk and provide it as steamed milk 455), and a mixing chamber 420(in which a base coffee 415, steamed milk 455, and/or other beverageingredients 406 may be combined to produce a customized beverage 425).If beverage 425 is an iced drink, ice unit 440 of system 400 may provideice 445 to a cup handler and lid dispenser 430, where the ice 445 may bedispensed into cup along with customized beverage 425.

As illustrated in this example, espresso unit 410 may take water as aninput (e.g., from a water supply 402), may brew coffee using any or allof the components and techniques described herein, and may store basecoffee product 415 prior to its use in other stages of the beverageproduction flow. As in the previous example, the water may be supplieddirectly from a city water supply, or it may be stored in a storage tankthat is located such that gravity provides the flow of water to espressounit 410. In this example, mixing chamber 420 may receive the basecoffee product 415 as an input and may customize the beverage, such asby adding sweeteners, diary (e.g., cold or steamed/frothed milk), water,flavored syrups, or other ingredients, per the customer's specification.The cup handler and lid dispenser 430 may receive the customized coffeeproduct 425 as an input and may package it (in some cases along with ice445) as a final product in a cup with a lid (shown as 435). Asillustrated in this example, the final product 435 may be stored in astaging area 485 prior to being presented to a customer at one ofseveral drink presenters 490 as a delivered product 495. In otherembodiments partially completed beverages and/or components thereof(e.g., base coffee or various combinations of ingredients) may betemporarily stored in a work-in-progress (WIP) staging area (not shown).

Waste produced by the system (e.g., waste produced by an espresso unit410, shown as 408 in FIG. 4) may be directed to a city waste waterservice, or it may be passed through a screen filter stage such thatonly the liquid waste is directed to the city waste water service andthe resulting dry waste grounds are collected when the unit is serviced.In some embodiments, a waste tank may be employed, e.g., when citywastewater service is not available.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the system may include one or more userinterfaces 480, through which various users (e.g., customers ortechnicians) may communicate with system 400, as in 475. For example,user interfaces 480 may include one or more of a liquid crystal display(LCD), a touch screen LCD (e.g., a 15-inch touch screen LCD), a cathoderay tube (CRT), a plasma display, or any other display/monitor device, acredit card and loyalty card reader, a radio frequency identification(RFID) reader, a coin acceptor, a printer, a loyalty card dispenser, amicrophone, a speaker, a keyboard, and/or a soft keyboard. In someembodiments, an interactive display may accept customer orders, and mayinteract with a master controller 460, a coin/credit card acceptor (notshown), and/or a receipt printer (not shown) in order to processtransactions for various orders. In some embodiments, a gift card/rewardcard dispenser may be included, and may be controlled by the mastercontroller 460. In some embodiments, multiple order entry touch screensmay exist on one kiosk, and/or the main extraction and storage tank mayserve multiple dispensing stations within the same kiosk. Additionaldisplays may be employed for point of sale advertising, in someembodiments.

Other embodiments may include any or all of these user interfaces or anyother user interface configured to allow a customer or technician tointeract with the system. For example, the customer or technician may beprompted to input data (e.g. data indicating a selection of a function,operation, or customization to be performed, or selection of a brewedbeverage to be produced) by a message displayed by the user interfacemechanism. As shown in this example, the system may also include one ormore drink presenters 490, each of which may provide a conveyor to aportal at which a customer may retrieve a delivered 495 product (e.g., aparticular brewed beverage).

As in the previous example, the system may include a central mastercontroller (shown as 460), which may schedule all beverage productionprocesses dependent on inputs from various user interfaces, on machinefeedback, and on communication received from a host or host database,and may coordinate all customer communications, machine controls, andfeedback (e.g., control and feedback illustrated at 461, 462, 463, 464,465, 466, and 467 in FIG. 4), and communication to a host server and/ordatabase thereof. For example, all valves, heaters, pumps, servo motors,flow control mechanisms, actuators, and/or other mechanical componentsof the system may controlled by the master controller, as describedherein. In some embodiments, various mechanical components may includeone or more ultrasonic transducers (not shown). In such embodiments,master controller 460 may control the application of ultrasonic energyto various processes performed by system 400 by activating particularones of those ultrasonic transducers.

In addition, the status of any or all components of the system may beobservable by a remote host through the master controller and/or aninterface thereof. For example, in some embodiments, the mastercontroller may communicate with a host server and/or database at aremote location through an Internet connection, such as that illustratedas element 470 in FIG. 4. The operations of the master controller(sometimes referred to herein as a scheduler) and other components ofthe system are described in more detail herein, according to variousembodiments.

One embodiment of the espresso unit described herein (espresso unit 500)is illustrated by the block diagram in FIG. 5. In this example, thebrewing chamber (which may also be referred to as a brew tube) is shownin the brewing position. As illustrated in this example, the brewingmechanism may include two chambers (508 and 516), which are separated bya filter (514). Above the top chamber (508) is a seal mechanism (506)with two ports (502 and 504), one of which (502) is used to supply hotwater (e.g., 200° F. water), and the other of which (504) is used toapply high-pressure air (e.g., air pressurized to between 0-9 bars, ascontrolled by software executing on the master controller). In someembodiments, espresso unit 500 may include additional ports to exhaustthe pressurized air after extraction (not shown). In this example, theremovable top seal (506) may be applied once the grounds are introducedto the top tube (508), and the grounds may be tamped by a mechanicaltamper, resulting in compressed coffee (512). Water introduced into thetop chamber (508) is shown in FIG. 5 as 510. As illustrated in thisexample, a container (518) may be positioned below espresso unit 500 tocollect expressed coffee resulting from the expression of hot water 510through compressed coffee 512.

FIG. 6 illustrates another embodiment of an espresso unit (espresso unit600), which includes a sintered filter, as well as an upper chamber(602) and a lower chamber (610). As illustrated in this example, asintered filter may have a profile that encourages the formation of astream of espresso (608) whose shape keeps the espresso from coolingdown or being wasted on the sides of the lower chamber (610). Forexample, the sintered filter may include a higher density disk (e.g., alow porosity disk on the order of 0.10 along the top plane (shown as604), and a higher porosity bulge (e.g., on the order of 100 thatdirects the coffee to the center (shown as 606). In some embodiments,the upper portion (606) may have a higher porosity as well, though itmay not restrict the flow of the espresso stream during the espressoprocess.

In some embodiments, the use of incremental compaction may enable thebrewing of different beverages and/or variations of a brewed beverage.Such incremental compaction of the coffee grinds may be used to maintainconsistency throughout the coffee or espresso puck. Note that, as usedherein, the term “puck” may refer to a compressed cylinder of groundcoffee, including coffee that has been compacted using any of themethods or mechanisms described herein. Compacting incremental amountsof grinds may facilitate more efficient compaction and may result insmaller amounts of coffee being consumed per espresso shot. For example,in a typical expression process, in which an entire puck of coffee iscompacted at once, only the top layer of coffee is actually compactedbecause the applied force is dissipated in the top layer of coffee,leaving the lower levels of the puck unaffected by the manual compactionprocess. In some embodiments, the systems described herein may dispensea portion of the coffee grinds to be used for an extraction operationinto the brewing chamber. In such embodiments, a tamper may be used tocompact that portion of the grinds, and then the process may be repeateduntil all the coffee grinds to be used for the extraction operation havebeen dispensed and compacted (e.g., in layers). In some embodiments,this incremental compaction mechanism may create a consistentlycompacted puck. The net effect of the incremental compaction mechanismmay be that the compacted coffee more efficiently slows the water flowduring extraction, and smaller amounts of coffee grinds may be requiredto create each espresso shot.

In some embodiments, the first layer of compacted coffee (e.g., thefirst layer of coffee compacted in an incremental compaction operation)may be used to create a blockage at the bottom of the brewing chamber.In such embodiments, at any time after the first layer has beencompacted, hot water may be added to the chamber (e.g., before and/orafter additional grinds are added to the chamber for furthercompaction). This may allow the same brewing mechanism that is used forthe production of an espresso product to be used to brew a “Frenchpress” type product. Once a French press type coffee is brewed, theproduct may be forced through the compressed puck using the samehigh-pressure air source used in the espresso process (although thepressure may in some cases be reduced). In other words, the process forproducing a French press type product may incorporate various elementsof the espresso process.

One embodiment of a method for producing espresso in a system such asthose described herein is illustrated by the flow diagram in FIG. 7. Asillustrated in this example, the method may include rotating a brewingchamber into a first position in which it can accept grounds (e.g.,coffee grounds) from a grinder, as in 710, and adding at least a portionof the grounds required to produce a brewed beverage to the brewingchamber, as in 715. For example, in some embodiments, the groundsrequired to produce a given beverage may be incrementally added to andcompacted in the brewing chamber, rather than being added all at once.

As illustrated in this example, the method may include rotating thebrewing chamber into a second position, such that it is aligned with atamper attached to an actuator. While the brewing chamber is in thisposition, the grinds may be compacted by the tamper, as in 720. If moregrinds needed to produce the beverage, shown as the positive exit from725, the method may include repeating the operations illustrated at715-720 until the required amount of grinds have been added to thebrewing chamber and compacted by the tamper. This is illustrated in FIG.7 as the feedback from 725 to 715. Once the required amount of grindshave been added to the brewing chamber and compacted by the tamper,shown as the positive exit from 725, the method may include introducinghot water into the into brewing chamber under low pressure, as in 730.

In some embodiments, the method may include engaging one or moreultrasonic transducers to accelerate the release of CO2 from the grindsduring a pre-infusion stage, shown as 735. As illustrated in thisexample, the method may include introducing high-pressure air into thebrewing chamber, which may force the hot water through the compressedgrinds, as in 740. For example, in some embodiments, air at 9 bars maybe introduced into the brewing chamber during the production ofespresso, or air at a slightly lower pressure may be introduced into thebrewing chamber to perform a French press type process. Once the hotwater has been forced through the compressed grinds, the method mayinclude draining the expressed coffee (or coffee base) into a finalcontainer or into a mixing chamber, as in 745. Note that in otherembodiments, a method for producing espresso may include an optionalpre-heating operation in which the brewing chamber (or various portionsthereof) are heated prior to one or more steps of an extraction process.

Portions of an espresso process, such as that illustrated in FIG. 7, maybe further illustrated by the block diagrams in FIGS. 8-12. For example,FIG. 8 illustrates some of the operations of an espresso unit during afirst step of an espresso process, according to some embodiments. Inthis example, a brewing chamber 800 is rotated to a position in which agrinder (804) can dispense a prescribed amount of fresh ground coffee(806) into the upper chamber (816). After compression, the grinds (810)in the upper chamber (816) may form a coffee (or espresso) puck (shownas 908 in FIG. 9). In this example, a representation of a worm gearattached to a stepper or DC motor (shown as 802) is illustrated abovegrinder (804). This worm gear and motor may be used to drive anadjustment cam to adjust the size of the resulting grinds (806). Forexample, as the motor is engaged in one direction or the other, thegrind size may be adjusted by rotating a collar on a threaded collar.The grinding plate attached to this collar may be raised or lowered,which may ultimately increase the grind size or reduce the grind size.In some embodiments, a master controller may cause the grinding plate tobe raised or lowered in order to adjust the grind size based on theamount of time it takes (as has taken) to pull an espresso shot. Forexample, if the shot takes (or has taken) longer than a prescribed orexpected amount of time, the grind size may be increased to allow thewater to flow more freely through the coffee or espresso puck (e.g.,puck 908 in FIG. 9) during the next espresso pull. If the shot took lessthan the prescribed or expected amount of time, the grind size may bedecreased prior to the next espresso pull.

The brewing chamber 800 of the espresso unit illustrated in FIG. 8 alsoincludes four ultrasonic transducers (e.g., ultrasonic transducer 808),two of which are attached to the upper chamber (816), and two of whichare attached to the lower chamber (814). In some embodiments suchtransducers may be energized during the espresso process and/or duringthe cleaning process (e.g., to accelerate the processes or certainaspects thereof). The brewing chamber also includes a sintered filter(812) between the upper chamber (816) and the lower chamber (814). Notshown is FIG. 8 is an optional pre-heater that in some embodiments, maybe attached to brewing chamber 800 (e.g., to the brew tube), or aprocess whereby hot water is passed through the brew tube before it isloaded with grinds. The use of such a pre-heating cycle may in someembodiments bring the brew tube up to a temperature high enough that thebrew tube does not cool the brewing water when it is introduced to thebrew chamber.

FIG. 9 illustrates some of the operations of an espresso unit during asecond stage of an espresso process, according to some embodiments. Inthis example, the same brew tube illustrated in FIG. 8 (now illustratedas brewing chamber 900, which includes an upper chamber 906 and a lowerchamber 912) has been rotated to an alternate position so that it is inalignment with a tamper (904) attached to an actuator (902). The dottedline shows the path along which tamper (904) travels as the actuator(902) is enabled. When the tamper (904) is depressed into the tube, thecoffee grinds (e.g., grinds 810 in FIG. 8) are compressed in the samemanner in which they would be pressed by a human barista to form acoffee or espresso puck (908). The tamper (904) may then be retracted toan elevation above the brew tube high enough to allow further rotationof the brew tube. The brew chamber may then be ready for theintroduction of water on top of the puck (908) in the upper chamber(906).

As in the previous example, brew tube 900 includes four ultrasonictransducers (e.g., transducer 914). Not illustrated in FIG. 9 are airvents that may exist in the tamper 904 (which may also be referred to asa plunger) and that may allow the tamper (904) to be removed withoutdisturbing the integrity of the coffee or espresso puck (908) when thetamper (904) is extracted. In some embodiments, the tamper (904) may beformed out of a block of Teflon to minimize the disturbance of the puck(908) when the tamper (904) is removed. Also not illustrated in FIG. 9is the rotary action of the tamper (904) as it comes in contact with thecoffee grinds when it is depressed. In some embodiments, this rotationmay continue in the same direction as the tamper (904) is raised, whilein other embodiments, the tamper may follow a combination of rotationalmovements in various directions when it is depressed. In someembodiments, such rotary actions of the tamper may form a smooth surfaceon the top of puck, which in turn may lead to a more uniform extractionof the coffee.

FIG. 10 illustrates a next step in an espresso process, according tosome embodiments. Specifically, FIG. 10 illustrates some of theoperations of the espresso unit during the actual extraction process. Asin the previous examples, the brewing chamber 1000 illustrated in FIG.10 includes an upper chamber (1018), and lower chamber (1016), asintered filter (1014), and four ultrasonic transducers (e.g.,transducer 1010). As illustrated in this example, an industrial waterheater (e.g., an in-line water heater, shown as 1004) may supply hotwater to a brewing chamber 1000 for use in the extraction process. Theinline water heater may not be under high pressure, which may reduce thecomplexity of the system. In some embodiments, an industrial waterheater may be part of a hot water loop that includes a small reservoirand a circulating pump. In some such embodiments such a system may befed with hot water from a pre-heater tank in which the water ismaintained at a temperature in the neighborhood of 140° F.) In thisexample, the top of the brew chamber 1000 is sealed, e.g., with a rotaryactuator or some other efficient automatic sealing mechanism (shown as1008). In some embodiments, the hot water may be under low pressure(e.g., on the order of 30 psi), in contrast to the hot water in atypical espresso machine (which may be maintained in a hot water tankpressurized to 9 bars). A valve (1002) may be opened to introduce thehot water into the upper chamber (1018) of the brewing chamber 1000.

Once the prescribed amount of water has been introduced to the upperchamber (1018), high-pressure air (which may already be available in thesystem for various actuators and/or fluid delivery systems) may beintroduced to the brew chamber (e.g., through valve 1006). This maybring the air above the water (which is above the coffee or espressopuck 1012) up to approximately 9 bars of pressure. In some embodiments,this pressure may force the hot water through the coffee or espressopuck (1012). Note that, in contrast to the operation of a typicalespresso machine, in some embodiments of the espresso unit describedherein, the water is not introduced under high pressure, but rather thewater is introduced under low pressure and the air is introduced underhigh pressure. The use of high-pressure air rather than high-pressurewater may reduce the cost and complexity of the system while increasingits reliability, since air may be much easier to handle under highpressure than mineralized hot water.

Note that FIG. 10 illustrates one possible mechanism for sealing thebrew tube, e.g., using a rotary actuator. Other embodiments may employactuators with leverage to seal the brew tube. For example, actuatorsmay apply horizontally opposing forces to drive a wedge shape thatcreates a vertical movement with significantly more force than theactuators alone may achieve. Not illustrated in FIG. 10 is an additionalexhaust valve into the brewing chamber, or an alternative air pressuresource for the brewing chamber when it used in a French-press process(e.g., a process in which the coffee is expelled under a lower pressurethan the 9 bars of pressure that may be used in an espresso process).Note that while FIG. 10 shows water entering the brewing chamber throughan industrial tube heater as part of a coffee brewing process, in someembodiments, the same industrial water heater (or another industrialwater heater) may be used as part of a closed loop heater system, withor without a storage tank.

In the block diagram illustrated in FIG. 11, water is dispensed into thebrewing chamber under low pressure (shown as water 1106 in brewingchamber 1100), such that there is no pressure in the chamber for theinitial moments. This may allow carbon dioxide to escape the groundcoffee when water first comes in contact with the ground coffee. Thismay be referred to as the pre-infusion stage. In some embodiments,ultrasonic transducers (such as transducer 1104 and/or other transducersattached to brew tube 1100) may or may not be engaged at this stage toaccelerate the process of releasing carbon dioxide. In one example,approximately 2.5 oz of hot water (1106) may be dispensed into the upperchamber (1112) of a brewing chamber (1100) such as that illustrated inFIG. 11 to extract 2.0 oz of espresso when the water (1106) is forcedthrough espresso puck 1108 and then through sintered filter 1110. Inthis example, approximately 0.5 oz of water may be retained in thecoffee grounds.

FIG. 12 illustrates another step in an espresso process, according toone embodiment. In this example, the upper chamber (1206) of a brewingchamber 1200 is being elevated to 9 bars of pressure using pressurizedgas (e.g., air or any of a variety of other available compressed gasses)that is introduced into the chamber through a pressurized gas valve1202. In this example, pressurizing the upper chamber (1206) forces theespresso through the coffee puck (1208). The espresso (1212) then passesthrough sintered filter (1210) and drains into a cup (1214) that may ormay not already include another liquid (e.g., milk product 1216). Aspreviously noted, one or more ultrasonic transducers attached to theside of the brewing chamber (e.g., transducer 1204) may be activated avarious points in the brewing cycle to accelerate specific reactionsbetween the coffee and the water, in some embodiments.

Frothing Process

The frothing of milk (or milk products) generally requires a foldingturbulence action/flow in which large bubbles are created and thenre-incorporated back into the milk. The folding action destroys thelarger bubbles, and the sizes of the bubbles are determined by theparticular folding action performed. In some embodiments, the beveragegeneration apparatus described herein is configured to froth milk byemploying a process that uses steam and an actuator to raise and/orlower the fluid (i.e. milk or a milk product). In some embodiments, amaster controller (or a controller application executing on a processor)may send one or more pulses to a steam wand to control the pressure andtemperature of the steam coming out of the steam wand, and/or may sendone or more pulses to the steam wand to control the depth, pressure,angle, during, and/or temperature of the steam to create an optimumturbulence while heating and frothing the milk (i.e. folding the milkupon itself to destroy the bubbles) and creating a uniform microfoam(e.g., very fine bubbles that are evenly distributed through the drink).

In some embodiments, the steam wand may be fashioned from (or itsexterior made of) machined Teflon (or another material having lowthermal conductivity). The steam wand may include three or more holesthat are offset to one side of the wand (and, therefore, the cup orother container in which the milk is being frothed) to create thefolding turbulence. In some embodiments, the pressure may be built upslowly in the wand such that the milk is not blown away. The pulsing ofa solenoid may be used to cause the steam pressure to increase, and asthe wand goes into the milk, the positive pressure may keep the milkfrom entering the wand.

One embodiment of a method for frothing milk is illustrated by the flowdiagram in FIG. 13. As illustrated in this example, the method mayinclude adding a desired milk product (e.g., whole, soy, low-fat,non-fat, etc.) to a container, as in 1310, and raising the container orlowering a steam wand to bring the wand in contact with milk, as in1320. As illustrated at 1330, once the steam wand is in contact with themilk, frothing may begin. During frothing (shown as 1340), the methodmay include adjusting the position of the wand and/or the container, asneeded, e.g., by raising or lowering the container, raising or loweringthe wand, adjusting the angle at which the container is held or moved(e.g. relative to the wand), and/or changing the speed at which suchadjustments are made. In some embodiments, these adjustments may be madebased on the volume of the container or the milk, the shape of thecontainer, the current temperature of the milk (e.g., the initialtemperature and/or the temperature as it changes during frothing), thefat content of the milk, or on other parameters that may affect thefrothing process.

As the wand depth increases during frothing (e.g., by raising thecontainer, lowering the wand, or changing the relative angles at whichthe container and wand are positioned), the method may includeincreasing the pressure in the wand in order to increase the temperatureof the milk being frothed. This may, in turn, increase the turbulence inthe milk and the folding effect on the liquid. As the wand depthdecreases (either by lowering the container, raising the wand, orchanging the relative angles at which the container and wand arepositioned), the method may include decreasing the pressure in the wand.The pressure, wand depth, and/or position of the container or wand maybe adjusted as needed until the milk overcomes its thermal inertia andthe optimum temperature is reached. This is illustrated in FIG. 13 bythe feedback from 1350 to 1340.

Once the milk has reached the desired temperature (shown as the positiveexit from 1350), the method may include safely removing the wand fromthe milk, as in 1360. In some embodiments, safely removing the wand mayinclude decreasing the pressure in the wand as the depth of the wanddecreases (e.g., to avoid splashing as the wand is removed). Forexample, the pressure may be decreased, and then the wand depth may bedecreased (either by lowering the container or raising the wand), or thepressure and depth may be decreased simultaneously, in differentembodiments.

In some embodiments, the frothing process may be controlled via amicrocontroller that controls the pressure in the steam wand and thedepth of the steam wand with respect to the milk surface whilemonitoring the temperature of the milk. In such embodiments, thepressure and wand depth may be adaptively varied as a function of thetemperature of the milk. In some embodiments, an ultrasonicdistance-monitoring device may be used to determine the volume of theliquid (e.g., the milk product) in the cup (i.e. the volume of the milkbeing frothed). In embodiments in which the weight of the cup is known,a calculation may be made to determine the density of the liquid once itis converted into foam. This calculation may be used to determine andmaintain the quality of the microfoam.

In some embodiments, the fat content of the milk product being frothedmay be tracked as an indicator that changes the way the milk is frothed.In other words, the process for frothing the milk may be adapteddependent on the milk fat content. In some embodiments, for example, thetime, intensity of the steam, and/or the depth profile of the steam wandover time (e.g., over the time it takes to perform the frothing process)may be tailored to the specific milk content (including the milk fatcontent) and/or milk volume involved in each individual frothingoperation, and/or the desired temperature of the resulting microfoam. Insome embodiments, a microcontroller (or an application executingthereon) may use a lookup table to determine a profile for the frothingprocess to determine a combination of depth changes, actual depths,and/or pressure changes to achieve a microfoam at a desired finaltemperature that has a specific microfoam texture.

Filter

In various embodiments, one or more components or mechanisms may beemployed in the beverage generation system to improve processes relatedto the filtration of the suspended solids. For example, the system mayinclude a filter plate or another filter structure. Traditionally, therate of flow of the water through a coffee puck is determined by thesize of the coffee grinds and the process used to tamp the puck.However, in some embodiments, the control of the flow may be regulatedusing a 0.1μ grade (holes) stainless steel sintered metal filter disk.This filter may provide a more complete filtration while still enablingthe “crema” associated with fine espresso to pass through the sinteredfilter. In other embodiments, another type of filter structure, such asa gradated portafilter may be employed. The filter in this structure isa plate that includes holes with a variety of different grades, e.g., aplate with hole sizes varying from microscopic (e.g. 0.1 micron holes)all the way up to visible holes. The gradation may allow the filter tomore easily be cleaned by a reverse flow (e.g., reverse flow of water ora cleaning solution).

As described herein, in various embodiments, multiple types of drinksmay be created using the same apparatus. For example, by using differentsized grinds of coffee, the same equipment may be used to make differenttypes of coffee (e.g., brewed coffee vs. espresso). For a brewedversion, the grinds might not be compacted at all or they may be onlypartially compacted. For espresso, the grinds may be compacted. In someembodiments, the flow through the grinds may be changed by stackingfilter plates (e.g., filter plates with similar or different hole sizes)and/or by rotating or aligning multiple filter plates.

In some embodiments, to facilitate the reliable performance of asequence of operations by the beverage generation system, water in thesystem may be turned on and off via pressure and without moving parts(e.g., without any valves). For example, in such embodiments, therewould be no flow under low pressure, while under high pressure thecoffee would flow through the filter, or through the formed puck ofcoffee. In some embodiments, the application of the pressure during aprocess that employs a 1 micron filter may result in simply passing thewater through the coffee puck without the need to further control theflow rate. However, during a process that employs a 0.1 micron filter(e.g., an espresso process) the system may further control the flowrate.

In some embodiments, in order to add structural integrity to a filter,the filter may have a bump at the bottom. This bump may also serve todirect the coffee or espresso that passes through the filter to thecenter of the filter to form a stream at the center of the filter. Thismay, in turn, help to maintain the quality of the crema.

In some embodiments, a funnel may be created by forming a sleeve withinthe bottom cylinder (i.e. the lower chamber) of a brewing chamber thatis in the shape of a funnel, where the bottom side of the sloped sectionis solidly filled. As in the example described above, the solid funnelmay be used to direct the coffee through the center of the brewingchamber during the brewing process. This is illustrated in FIG. 14 assolid funnel 1410, which directs espresso 1408 (expressed when water inupper chamber 1402 of brewing chamber 1400 is forced through puck 1404and then filter 1406) through the center of lower chamber 1412 ofbrewing chamber 1400 to form a stream of espresso (shown as 1416).

As illustrated in FIG. 15, when a brewing chamber 1500 that includessuch a solid funnel (shown as 1504) is turned upside down for the CIP(clean-in-place) process, the water or cleaning solution (1506) canstill flow in the (now upper) chamber (1502) to clean the brewingchamber without getting trapped underneath the top of funnel 1504. Asillustrated in this example, in some embodiments, the bottom side of thesolid funnel may be curved and/or sloped to eliminate (or at leastminimize) the trapping of particulates and/or solution. As describedherein, when the brewing chamber 1500 is in the cleaning position, wateror cleaning solution from the CIP jets can flow down from (now upper)chamber 1504 through filter 1508 and into (now lower) chamber 1512 todislodge and/or dissolve puck 1510 and/or to clean both the upper andlower chambers out.

Note that in some embodiments, as an alternative to a traditional latteprocess in which an espresso shot is created in one vessel, and milk isfoamed in a separate vessel, the systems described herein may be used tofoam the milk (which may or may not include other additives that havepre-dispensed into the milk) in a vessel (which may be the end user'scup or a separate vessel that is maintained clean using a CIP process)first, and then to dispense the espresso shot into the foam as theespresso shot is created. In some embodiments, this may contribute tothe optimization of the caramelization process. In such embodiments,after the espresso shot has been dispensed, the system may perform amixing process through mechanical vibration, or through the introductionof a stream of air or steam. This air or steam may be used to mix theespresso shot with the pre-steamed milk and any other ingredients thatwere pre-dispensed in the milk. In other embodiments, the espresso shotmay be produced into a vessel first, and then the milk and/or otheradditives may be added before the steaming process. In such embodiments,the combined liquids may then be steamed and mixed together.

In some embodiments, various liquids may be dispensed out (e.g., atdifferent points in a beverage generation process) at a point, which mayenable latte art as well as a uniform flow of fluid (which may reducecleaning needs). In some embodiments, the process of moving the cuparound while creating the latte art may be sufficient to mix theingredients in the drink. In some embodiments, the production of asingle, thin stream of crema may allow the machine to create latte art,as described below. In some embodiments, the flow of the stream may besubsided at different points during the creation latte art in order tocreate more intricate designs. In one example, when a cup is on an XYZactuator, the cup may be moved around in specific patterns to enablelatte art, rather than the cup having to engulf the bottom lips of thecylinder. In other words, as the cup is moved around below the stream ofespresso, any type of design may be created in any foamed milk alreadypresent in the cup. Creating latte art by moving the cup may keep thelips of the cylinder cleaner because the liquid may not run down thesides of the cylinder.

Note that in some embodiments, optimizing the thickness of a filter vs.the grind size may involve empirically matching the optimal grind sizeand the filter hole size. For example, as the thickness of the filterplate varies, the size of the holes (and/or the distribution profile ofthe holes) may be varied so that the water comes through the filter atthe same rate across the plate (despite its thickness being uneven).Varying the size of the holes, and/or their distribution profile, mayresult in an even extraction across the coffee puck. In anotherembodiment, rather than having a filter with varying thickness, thesystem may employ a dual plate filter, in which a second filter plate isadded to the original filter plate to cause the fluid to come to a pointas it passes through the dual plate filter. In some embodiments, thesecond plate may not impede the flow, but may only affect its direction.

In some embodiments, the system may include a control loop that measuresthe amount of time it takes for a shot to come out and then adjusts thesize of the grind accordingly. The container accepting the espresso mayrest on a load cell or on another type of weighing device. In suchembodiments, there may be an intended (or expected) target time forgeneration of the espresso shot. As the shot is extracted, the cupweight may be tracked along a time/weight profile. If the espresso shotextraction rate does not track the intended profile, a DC motor orstepper motor on the collar of the coffee grinder may be adjusted tochange the grind size. If the shot is taking too long to extract, thegrinder may be adjusted so that it dispenses a larger grind size. Thismay avoid over extraction, which may result in a bitter flavor in thefinal drink. For example, the larger grind size may allow the water tomore freely move through the puck, and may shorten the time it takes togenerate the espresso shot. Should the espresso shot happen too fast,the grinder may be adjusted with the same motor to reduce the grindsize, which may slow down the process and avoid under extraction (whichcould result in a loss in body and/or flavor in the final drink).

In some embodiments, if there is a large shift in the shot time, thismay indicate a fracture or structural flaw in the coffee puck. In suchembodiments, the controller (or controlling software) may interpret alarge shift in extraction time as an error. If so, the espresso shot maybe dispensed to waste, and the process may be restarted. In someembodiments, the same load cell/sensor that is used in monitoring and/orcontrolling the espresso process may also be used to measure thequantity of dispensed ingredients by weight. In some embodiments, theexisting load sensor may be used to validate the flow rate, and thecontroller (or controlling software) may control the grind sizedependent on the flow rate observed over time.

Note that in embodiments in which both sintered plates and adjustmentsin the coffee grind size are used to control the espresso process, thegrind size may be a second order effect (e.g., because of the sinteredplate may have a larger effect on the results).

Note that tamping pressure may also a determining factor in the time ittakes to generate an espresso shot. Human limitations in a traditionalespresso process may introduce variability as well as a limitation onthe amount of pressure that can used to create the puck. In someembodiments, the systems described herein may control the amount ofpressure and the amount of time for which it is applied, which mayincrease the overall efficiency of the extraction process.

Note that in some embodiments, in order to enable the same equipment tobe used to create multiple types of drinks with the same hardware, amotor may be used to make significant changes in the grinder settingsdepending on the type of brewing process used (e.g., espresso or aversion of French press type product). In some embodiments, a databasemay store information about the size of the grind to be dispensed whenproducing a drink based on the type of drink to be produced. In someembodiments, the information stored in the database may represent adelta between a base process (e.g., a standard or default process) and aprocess that is specific to the type of drink being produced. In variousembodiments, the base value may be changed via the control loopdepending on the temperature of the drink, the type of coffee beans, oron other factors.

Ultrasonic Energy

In some embodiments, the same ultrasonic generator that is used in theespresso module (e.g., in the brewing process) may be utilized in thefrothing station. For example, the ultrasonic generator may be used toclean the frothing structure (including, e.g., a steam wand and/or atemperature probe) by lowering the frothing structure into a cup ofwater or cleaning solution instead of lowering it into milk. Theultrasonic energy may be used to sterilize and/or wash the structureincluding the steam wand and temperature probe. This may provide athorough cleaning of the frothing structure between uses.

As previously noted, in some embodiments the steam wand may be made ofTeflon rather than stainless steel. A steam wand made of Teflon may havea lower thermal conductivity than a traditional stainless steel wand. Insome embodiments, when steam passes through the Teflon wand, a proteinlayer may not form, since the outside of the wand may not reach the 140°F. temperature needed to create a protein layer on the wand. In someembodiments, the application of ultrasonic energy may enable the foamingof very small amounts of milk (as opposed to a steaming process, whichtypically requires larger quantities of milk to foam). This may minimizewaste in the system and enable a wide variety of customized drinks. Notethat the system may employ a single ultrasonic generator that generatesdifferent frequencies, since different applications of ultrasonic energymay require different frequencies.

In some embodiments, various liquid levels in the system (e.g., water,milk, expressed coffee) may be measured using ultra sound. Suchmeasurements may be used as a backup process to prevent overflowing,and/or they may be used to regulate the depth of a steam wand as theliquid level is increasing in the cup (e.g., during a frothingoperation). In some embodiments, a feedback loop from the ultrasonicsensor back to the master controller may control the vertical height ofcup so that the depth remains at a prescribed level while the volumeincreases in cup.

Additional Process Details

The systems described herein may implement various processes that addreliability and reduce the overall operating cost of the machine ascompared to existing beverage generation systems. Typically, an espressomachine dispenses hot water (approx 200° F.) from a tank that is alsounder 9 Bars of pressure. This creates a very hostile environment forthe tank and for the associated valves and other pieces of equipmentthat are in contact with the high temperature water under high pressure.In addition, the water must contain a certain amount of mineral contentto enable complete extraction of the coffee or tea. This mineral contentcan create films and/or cause corrosion on the mechanical components ofthe machine, which can lead to costly repairs and/or high maintenancecosts. The systems described herein separate the two effects oftemperature and pressure by maintaining the hot water under lowpressure, adding the low pressure water to the coffee or tea grinds, andthen adding a high-pressure gas (such as air) to the brewing chamber tocreate the pressure needed for proper extraction. Controllinghigh-pressure air by itself is a well-proven technology and requireslittle maintenance. Controlling hot water at low pressures is also knownand can be done with considerably less maintenance and at a lower costthan controlling the high-pressure/high-temperature water used intypical espresso machines. The mechanisms described herein forseparating high temperature inputs and high-pressure inputs are notlimited to application in automated beverage kiosks, such as thosedescribed herein, but may be applied to any type of espresso, coffee, ortea producing machine, in different embodiments. They may also beapplicable to other processes that typically require hot water underhigh pressure.

As previously noted, a load cell that is used to determine the rate ofespresso generation may also be used to dispense ingredients by weight.For example, additives, milk products, and various combinations of milkproducts (e.g., combinations that create milk having products with aparticular fat content) may be dispensed into a container using the sameweight-measuring device to determine how much of each to dispense. Forexample, by combining different amounts of milk products that eachinclude a different fat content, the system maybe able to create a milkproduct having any desired fat content, while minimize the types of milkthat must be stored in the system. In some embodiments, ice may also bedispensed by weight. In other words, a load cell may be used to controldispensing liquid and/or solid additives, and may also provide feedbackto tune the machine in order to maintain the process and/or theconsistency of the output. For example, feedback from the load cell maybe used to determine that the size of the grind should be adjusted afterweighing the amount of espresso that is output over time.

In some embodiments, the filter employed in the systems described hereinmay have pores at 1 micron (rather than at 70 microns, as with someexisting systems). Therefore, the filter may pull out more of the finegrind that could ruin the taste of the drink. The purity of the coffeeand its shelf life may be directly dependent on the grind that is leftin the beverage. The systems described herein may produce less wastethan existing systems and, in some embodiments, may brew only what isneeded (and only on demand). In some embodiments, even if more coffee isbrewed than will be consumed at any given instant in time, the remainingbeverage may have a longer shelf life than in existing systems due tothe reduction of contaminants (e.g., grinds) in the beverage.Additionally, the coffee may be brewed faster than in existing systemsby using the mechanisms described herein. In some embodiments, the useof a fine filter may also improve the shelf life of pre-brewed andcooled iced coffee.

In some embodiments, steam may only be created when it is needed.Typically, an espresso machine includes a steam generation tank in whichthe water and steam are maintained above the boiling point (e.g., atapproximately 280° F.). This may create an even more toxic environmentthan the hot water tank used in typical espresso machines. The valvesand equipment associated with the steam generation require constantmaintenance on a typical espresso machine. In some embodiments, thesystems described herein may employ an industrial steam generator, whichmay be more reliable than a steam generation tank because it is notconstantly maintained under high temperature and pressure. Theindustrial steam generator may use less energy and have lowermaintenance requirements than typical steam generation tank. Forexample, the valves for the industrial steam generator may be lessexpensive than in existing systems because they do not need to operateunder constant high pressure. Instead, the systems described herein maynot enter a high-energy mode until they sense the presence of acustomer. In other words, the systems described herein may maintain thetemperature of the apparatus below the boiling point, and may ramp up asthe customer is potentially ordering a beverage. This may allow thesystem to consume an optimally low amount of energy.

In some embodiments, the beverage generation apparatus described hereinmay provide the ability to change the flavor of the resulting coffee.For example, the system may include multiple grinders and/or hoppersthat dispense different beans and/or beans with different roastprofiles, which may be directed into one of multiple brew tubes, and/ormay be ground to one of multiple grind sizes. In some embodiments, aspecific amount of coffee to be dispensed may be specified (which maydetermine the amount of time that the grinder is on). By controllingthese and other variables, one machine may be used to produce manycoffee bases. Various combinations of additives that may be selected ontop of these options may give the customer a considerable number ofoptions for a finished beverage. In addition, latte art may be createdwith espresso or additives using cup actuators and/or solid additivesthat are dispensed through similar actuators, in some embodiments.

In some embodiments, in order to sense the temperature of the brewedbeverage, a sensor may be employed under the cup. To enable the sensorto work properly, the cup bottom may be made of different material thanthe rest of the cup. In some embodiments, the system may include a smartsensor that understands what type of material the cup bottom is made of,in order to enable proper temperature sensing.

In some embodiments, the beverage generation system described herein maybe programmed or otherwise configured to maintain a certain stock ofpre-prepared drinks such as iced coffee, iced espresso, iced tea, etc.In such embodiments, the may recognize when stock of a particular drinkdrops below a desired inventory level. During times when the machine isnot fully occupied with preparing drinks for customers, or when thecontroller (or controlling software) recognizes that the machine shouldreplenish its supply of certain pre-prepared drinks, the machine may becommanded to brew particular drinks. In some embodiments, the controller(or controlling software) may be cognizant of demand (e.g., currentdemand and/or historical demand for various beverages) and may cause themachine to speculatively or preemptively prepare a drink (e.g., iced teaor coffee, or even brewed coffee) on behalf of a customer or in order tofulfill on order for beverages that was place (e.g., pre-ordered)remotely (e.g., online or through a smartphone application). Forexample, the controller (or controlling software) may effect theproduction of brewed coffee in one-gallon boxes for a customer thatpre-ordered the coffee online, and/or may effect the production ofvarious beverages that it can store in anticipation of a imminent needfor those drinks. In some embodiments, speculative or preemptivebeverage generation (or brewing of a coffee or espresso base) may beperformed when the machine is not otherwise occupied (e.g., during deadcycles).

In general, the beverage generation machines described herein may becapable of brewing and storing drinks and/or partially completed drinksor drink bases made from any “dried plant material”. Demand for thebrewed plant material may be based on the weight of the stored material(or based on the calculated volume of the material), as well as along-term anticipation of demand, in various embodiments.

Cold Beverages, Refrigeration and Pressure

In some embodiments, multiple elements of an automated beveragegeneration kiosk may require refrigeration or cooling, and the entiresystem may include multiple compressors for those purposes. In otherembodiments, one or more sub-systems that require cooling may share acommon cooling source. In one example, a single compressor forrefrigeration may create ice. The ice may be stored in a chamber thatalso contains the tubes used to convey and dispense various liquidsstored in the refrigeration chamber. The refrigerated liquids mayinclude one or more dairy products, such as milk or cream. In someembodiments, the ice generated by a single compressor may be dispensedinto final drinks, and may also be used to maintain milk products (orother ingredients that require refrigeration) at a safe temperature. Insome embodiments, the ice may also be used to cool the dairy dispensingmechanism in order to maintain a safe operating environment for themilk. In some embodiments, the ice may also be routed in the machineand/or stored in the machine in a manner in which it surrounds, or isstored adjacent to, a storage container (similar to an ice box). In thisway, the ice may perform the function of cooling the ingredients in thecontainer. In some embodiments, ice that is to be dispensed into acustomer's cup may be maintained separately from ice used for othercooling functions, which may minimize the clean-in-place requirements.

In some embodiments, a heat exchanger may be attached to the structurethat contains the ice. Air from the inside of the kiosk may becirculated through the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger may then actto both cool and dehumidify the ambient air in the kiosk. In otherwords, in some embodiments, all of the cooling requirements (generationof ice, milk temperature maintenance, cold storage, environmental aircontrol, etc.) may be sourced through one compressor, which may belocated outside of the kiosk. For example, the compressor may be mountedoutside of a closed compartment that houses some or all of the otherprocess modules making up the automated beverage generation system. Theuse of a single compressor for multiple functions may in someembodiments reduce the energy consumed by the system, and may simplifyits maintenance and/or reduce the overall cost of the machine or itsoperations.

In some embodiments, an automated beverage generation kiosk may includemechanisms that enable multiple ingredients to be dispensed in liquidform. In existing systems, the complexity associated with manydispensing mechanisms can lead to a significant number of failurepoints. However, the machines described herein may utilize a compressedair source (e.g., one that is also used for the espresso process) fordispensing liquid ingredients. In some embodiments, the air may beregulated to provide pressure in one or more compartments (each of whichmay be under a different amount of pressure) through the use ofadditional regulators. In some embodiments, some or all of the liquidingredients may be stored in an icebox or another type of cooler. Insome embodiments, the system may use a single source of pressure (ratherthan multiple pumps) to provide a primary and secondary storage underpressure. Liquids may move between the two simply due to the differencein pressure. This mechanism may require fewer moving components than amechanism that relies on multiple pumps. In some embodiments, the samepressure source that is used to dispense liquid ingredients and/or thatis used in the espresso process may also be used to drive theactuator(s) for moving the cup and any other moving parts in themachine.

In some embodiments, the system may include a tank containing nitrousoxide that can used to dispense and/or make whipped cream via a simpleactuator. This may provide the automated coffee/beverage kiosk with theability to dispense whipped cream as an optional additive to any of thebeverages it generates. In some embodiments, the pressure of the whippedcream dispenser may be monitored remotely.

Cleaning Process

In some embodiments, an automated espresso machine may employ anultrasonic cleaning process for cleaning various components of themachine, including the filter and the chambers of the espresso unit. Asdescribed herein, the filter may be cleaned using a combination of abackflow of fluid and an application of ultrasound waves to dislodge anyparticles (e.g., coffee grinds) and flush them away. The fluid used inthe cleaning process may be water or any other type of solution that iscapable of accelerating or causing the dislodging or dissolving of thewaste particles. In some embodiments, the cleaning process may be aidedby the use of heat. For example, heating the filter may aid in cleaningand dislodging and dissolving of the waster particles.

In some embodiments, heating the brewing chamber during the cleaningcycle may result in the pre-heating of the chamber for the next brewingcycle. In some embodiments, the brewing chamber may be maintained at aspecific temperature by means of a heating element. To maintain aconsistent temperature across the length of the brew tube, multipletypes of materials may be used to distribute the heat evenly, reducingthe risk of hotspots in the brewing chamber. In some embodiments, thechamber may be constructed using multiple laminated layers of variousmetals. For example, the interior of the tube may be stainless steel,while the exterior may be wrapped in copper. In some embodiments, theenergy introduced to the heating element may be controlled through aproportional-integral-derivative (PID) control loop that includes one ormore temperature sensors on or in the brewing chamber.

In some embodiments, the cleaning process may be carried out in two ormore phases, with the final phase being performed immediately before thenext brewing cycle in order to achieve both the cleaning effect and thepre-heating of the chamber for the next brewing cycle. In someembodiments, the cleaning process may make use of a cleaning chamberthat is common to the steam wand, the espresso chamber (including thefilter) and the additive dispensers. The cleaning chamber may be on arotating plate or an XYZ actuator that may be controlled (e.g., by themaster controller) to move it into place for cleaning. The cleaningchamber may include one or more spraying jets that pre-spray the objectbeing cleaned at an angle while filling the cleaning chamber and/orcreating turbulence to aid in the cleaning process. In other words, thecleaning process may include a spraying process, turbulence, and/orultrasonic processes. In some embodiments, the cleaning chamber and themixing chamber may use the same actuator and/or may be co-located on thesame rotating plate or XYZ actuator.

FIG. 16 illustrates the flipping motion of a brewing chamber 1600 from abrewing position to a cleaning position, according to one embodiment. Inthis example, the brewing chamber includes an upper chamber (1602) and alower chamber (1606) separated by a filter (1604). When the brewingchamber (1600) is flipped, the upper chamber for the brewing processbecomes the lower chamber during the cleaning process, and the lowerchamber for the brewing process becomes the upper chamber during thecleaning process. One mechanism for rotating the brewing chamber isillustrated in FIG. 17. In this example, the rotating mechanism (1704)may be used to rotate a brewing chamber 1700. The rotating mechanism mayinclude a motor (e.g., a stepper motor or a DC motor) and a gearboxreducer (i.e. a rotary gear actuator), in some embodiments. The rotatingmechanism may or may not include support on both sides of the brewingchamber, in different embodiments.

FIG. 18 illustrates a brewing chamber 1800 (such as any of the brewingchambers described herein) as it rotates. In this example, the brewingchamber (1800), which includes an upper chamber 1804, a lower chamber1812, and a sintered filter (1808), contains a coffee or espresso puck1806. As in other examples, one or more ultrasonic transducers (e.g.,transducer 1810) may be attached to the brewing chamber (1800) and maybe activated to accelerate various operations involving the brewingchamber (1800). The brewing chamber 1800 may be rotated or otherwisemaneuvered into one position to receive grinds, into a second positionto be aligned with a tamper, and into a third position for performanceof an extraction process. The upper chamber (1804) may become the lowerchamber during a cleaning process if the brewing chamber (1800) ifflipped upside down for the cleaning process.

FIG. 19 illustrates an espresso unit 1900 after the brewing chamber hasbeen rotated on the center axis (shown by the horizontal arrows in FIG.19) in preparation for cleaning. As illustrated in this example, analternate receiving container 1912, which may also be referred to as aCIP (clean-in-place) chamber or cleaning tank, is raised into positionduring the CIP process. In this example, the CIP process includesintroducing additional water and/or a cleaning solution into the upperchamber 1902 (which was the lower chamber during the brewing step). Oncethe water or cleaning solution (1904) is introduced into the upperchamber (1902), water jets from the CIP chamber (1912) may be turned on,and high pressure (e.g., high-pressure air) may be introduced in theupper chamber (1902), shown as the downward arrow in FIG. 19. In someembodiments, ultrasonic transducers (not shown) may be attached to theexterior of the brew tube, and may be energized during the cleaningprocess (e.g., to accelerate the process). The coffee puck (1908) thatwas formed during the brewing cycle may be ejected from its location atthe upper part of the lower chamber (1910) by high-pressure air. As thepuck is expelled by the impulse of the high-pressure air, it may bepulverized by the CIP water jets, after which the grounds may bereturned into a suspension in the CIP water, and expelled through adrain in the CIP chamber (not shown) to be delivered as waste (e.g., toa waste storage receptacle or to a waste water service system).

One embodiment of a method for performing a cleaning process in thebeverage brewing system described herein is illustrated by the flowdiagram in FIG. 20. As illustrated in this example, the method mayinclude rotating a brewing chamber into a clean-in-place position, andconnecting (or re-connecting) hot water and high-pressure air to theupper chamber, as in 2010. For example, in some embodiments, after abrewing cycle is complete, an espresso tube may be rotated (vertically)by 180 degrees in preparation for the clean-in-place (CIP) process. Insome embodiments, the method may include positioning a cleaning chamber(which may also be referred to as a clean-in-place tank) for cleaning,as in 2020.

As illustrated at 2030, the method may include applying hot water,ultrasonic energy, and/or pressure in the upper chamber to dislodge thecompressed coffee puck. The method may also include spraying waterand/or cleaning solution up into the chamber to dissolve the compressedcoffee puck and to rinse the inside of the chamber (as in 2040) and thenallowing the water and/or cleaning solution to drain from the bottom ofthe clean-in-place tank, carrying away the grinds (as in 2050). In someembodiments, the method may include opening and closing a drain valverepeatedly and/or periodically during a cleaning operation to let thecleaning tank fill up and then drain, while in other embodiments thedrain valve may be left open during the cleaning process such that therinse water or cleaning solution is drained continuously as theapparatus is cleaned.

The clean-in-place process described above may be further illustrated bythe block diagrams in FIGS. 21 and 22. For example, FIG. 21 illustratesa brew tube (2100) that has been rotated 180 degrees from its positionduring a brewing cycle in preparation for cleaning the apparatus betweenbrewing cycles. In this example, the (now) upper chamber (2118) has beenre-connected to the high temperature water source and the high-pressureair source used in the brewing process (not shown). In this example, hotwater is dispensed into the upper chamber (2118) and is shown as 2106,ultrasonic transducers attached to the brew tube (e.g., four ultrasonictransducers, including 2104) are engaged, and the air pressure isincreased in the upper chamber (2118) to the point at which the coffeepuck (2108) produced during the previous brewing cycle is dislodged fromthe filter (not shown). Note that the upper chamber 2110 may be sealed(e.g., a seal 2102) during a cleaning cycle. At the same time, CIP jets,or cleaning spray nozzles (2112) direct streams of liquid (e.g., water,cleaning solution, or another liquid) up into the (now lower) chamber(2110). This water or other liquid dissolves the coffee puck (2108),allowing it to drain to waste (e.g., by opening drain valve 2114) or bepumped to waste. The CIP jets may continue to operate to rinse off theinside of the brewing chamber (2100), preparing it for the next brewingcycle. In various embodiments, the cleaning solution used may be water,a chemical solution, or a mixture of water and a chemical solution. Insome embodiments, the cleaning solution may include a sequentialcombination of water and a chemical solution (i.e. one and then theother liquid may be sprayed inside brewing chamber 2100 in order toclean it). In some embodiments, as the brewing chamber is being cleaned,a drain valve (2114) may at some points be engaged to close off the flowof water, allowing the CIP jets to fill the cleaning chamber (2116) foradditional cleaning.

FIG. 22 also illustrates a portion of the clean-in-place process,according to some embodiments. In this example, coffee grinds are beingreleased from the filter 2208, and are being dispersed in the water orcleaning solution (2210) by the CIP jets 2214 in the cleaning chamber2212. Note that these CIP jets (2214) may be used for other purposesafter the brewing chamber 2200 is inverted following the cleaning cycle.Note also that in some embodiments, a cleaning process may includeexpelling the coffee puck using compressed air and sending it to astorage compartment (e.g., for later disposal to waste or recycling),and then performing a liquid rinse and or CIP process to remove theremaining grinds (e.g., through drain valve 2216). As illustrated inthis example, the upper chamber (2206) of the brew tube 2200 may besealed (e.g., by a seal 2202) during the cleaning cycle. As in previousexamples, the cleaning process may in some embodiments be accelerated byengaging one or more ultrasonic transducers that are attached to thebrew tube (e.g., transducer 2204). Once the cleaning cycle has beencompleted, the brew tube may be rotated back by 180 degrees, inpreparation for the next brewing cycle.

Profiling of the Process

An espresso, coffee, or tea extraction process comprises a sequence ofdiscrete and interrelated chemical and mechanical processes that resultin the creation of multiple compounds in the resultant brewed beverage.Some of these processes result in beneficial or desirable taste andbody/or properties of the final drink, while other processes may producecompounds that are generally not desirable in the final drink, such asthe bitter flavors associated with poorly processed coffee or teas.Based on knowledge of when, how, and under what conditions each type ofcompound is created, a process may be developed to amplify the effectsof specific beneficial chemical and/or mechanical processes and tode-emphasize (or mitigate the effects of) other processes whose resultsmay be undesirable. In some embodiments, one or more of the chemical ormechanical process preformed by an automated beverage generation system(such as those described herein) may utilize varying pressures atvarious points in the process, as well as the application of ultrasonicenergy (e.g., a particular points in time, frequencies, and/orintensities) to target specific processes whose effects should beemphasized. In some embodiments, these and other techniques to applyvarious adaptations to the basic chemical and/or mechanical processes ofthe system may enable the acceleration of some processes. For example,one or more ultrasound pulses may be applied in the system to acceleratethe release and/or removal of CO₂ from the grinds early in theextraction process, which may allow the next step in the process tobegin earlier in the extraction flow.

An extraction process includes a sequence of reactions and steps, someof which take longer than others. In some embodiments, the accelerationof some of those reactions or steps may increase the efficiency ofextraction, which may result in a more complete extraction. Byperforming a more complete extraction, the system may use a smalleramount of coffee to create the same product than the amount of coffeethat a process that includes a less efficient extraction would use. Thisacceleration of the extraction process may allow extraction to beperformed in less time than an extraction process that has not been soaccelerated. This may translate into a higher efficiency for the machineoverall, and into a shorter wait for the customer. In some embodiments,by the acceleration of certain steps or processes, the particularresults of those reactions or steps may be magnified. In someembodiments, the use of selective acceleration or other adaptations ofvarious processes may allow the system to modify the resulting flavor ofthe drinks it produces to create multiple types of flavored drinks fromthe same bean source. For example, the system may produce darker and/ormore acidic drinks using a more complete extraction process, or lighterdrink using a less complete extraction process. In some embodiments,multiple-variable profiles may be developed and/or graphed for variousprocesses, and may be used to optimize those processes in accordancewith those profiles to achieve a desired result.

One embodiment of a method for producing brewed beverages according to amultiple-variable process profile is illustrated by the flow diagram inFIG. 23. As illustrated as 2310 in this example, the method may includedeveloping a multiple-variable process profile for each of one or moretarget beverages or for various processes used to produce thosebeverages, dependent on temperature, pressure, time, and/or otherprocess inputs or environmental variables. For example, process profilesmay be developed (e.g., empirically) for each of the processes involvedin producing a beverage using a particular recipe and/or in order toachieve a desired qualitative result (e.g., a particular taste, such asbitter, dark, etc.). The method may include storing the processprofile(s) for the one or more target beverages or processes, as in2320.

In response to receiving a request to produce a beverage for which aprocess profile has been developed (as in 2330), the method may includeaccessing the process profile for the requested beverage as in 2340. Themethod may then include producing the requested beverage, adaptivelyperforming one or more chemical or mechanical sub-processes dependent onthe accessed process profile, one or more process inputs, and/or one ormore environmental variables (e.g., as temperature, pressure, volume,milk fat, or other variables), as in 2350.

FIG. 24 is a process optimization graph illustrating a multiple-variableoptimization profile for a frothing process, which maps temperature vs.pressure and steam wand depth over time (e.g., during the time it takesto perform a frothing operation). In this example, to reach the targettemperature x₁ (shown as 2430, and corresponding to the temperature atpoint 2410 on the dashed curve 2406), the steam wand depth may be variedover time according to the dotted curve 2404, and the pressure in thesystem (or in the steam wand) may be varied over time according to thesolid curve 2402. By varying the wand depth and pressure according tothis profile, the target temperature x₁ (2430) may be reached at time t₁(2420) in this example. Similar multiple-variable process profiles maybe developed and applied in the systems described herein to obtain adesired result of a profiled process (e.g., a target temperature) whilethe value of one or more of the variables changes during performance ofthe profiled process.

Interface/Communication

The beverage generation systems described herein may include anautomated storefront that implements multiple innovative mechanisms forinterfacing with customers, and for solving issues related to customerswaiting in line for requested products to be produced. In someembodiments, the system may queue up a customer's order based onobserved time patterns (e.g., the customer's demand history), or apre-programmed desire (e.g., a pre-order that was placed remotely or astanding order). For example, a customer may have a regular schedule andmay want a specific drink prepared at the same time or with the sametime interval each day. In some embodiments, a software applicationaccessed online, a mobile application (e.g., accessed through asmartphone), and/or a software application accessed through variousinput mechanisms at the automated kiosk or on other device may allowmultiple customers to order beverages simultaneously. In someembodiments, multiple drinks may be ordered at once by one or morecustomers. In some embodiments, to keep track of multiple orders (e.g.,while they are being processed or scheduled for processing), eachindividual drink (e.g., each cup of coffee or other beverage) may haveits own identifier (ID). In addition, a unique ID may be created foreach specific recipe, and these IDs may be used by customers to sharetheir recipes using any type of electronic or physical means. Forexample, social networks or specific applications for desktop computer,or mobile phones or computers may allow customers to share drink recipesor to share their thoughts about a particular drink (e.g., whileidentifying the drink by the unique ID associated with its recipe).

In some embodiments, the system (or a software application associatedwith the system) may be configured to allow people to electronicallysend other people drinks (e.g., an electronic coupon, voucher, receipt,or gift certificate that allows the recipient to receive a specificdrink or the drink of their choice). These electronic “drinks” may begifts exchanged between individuals, or may be promotions by the owneror operator of the automated kiosk, or by a neighboring business as partof a promotion. For example, and nearby dry cleaner may run a promotionin which they offer a special on dry cleaning and buy their customer adrink at the kiosk. In some embodiments, customers may be able to sharea celebrity drink. In other words, publicity may be crated for acelebrity by announcing that their favorite drink recipe is availableeither on at the kiosk, through a web or mobile application for thekiosk, or on the celebrity's social media or web site. Just ascelebrities are often imitated in terms of their hairstyle, dress, etc,this may allow their public to taste just what the celebrity tastes.

In some embodiments, a customization option may allow an end customer tocreate their own latte art using commercially available or customsoftware and formatted data, or using a proprietary application thatallows the customer to draw their own latte art (which may be output asa data file formatted for use at the kiosk). The file may be interpretedby the robot at the kiosk (e.g., by the controller that controls theactuators and/or other mechanical components that are manipulated tocreate the latte art). For example, the resultant art may be presentedon the top of the foamed milk by moving the cup around below the streamof espresso as it is created or dispensed.

In some embodiments, the automated kiosk may include a chamber in whichto perform the mixing of the fluids. After being mixed in the mixingchamber, the fluids may be poured into the final serving cup, which maybe dispensed by the kiosk or may be supplied by the customer. In someembodiments, a customer may be able to their own cup, e.g., a cup thatcontains an RFID tag that identifies the customer, his or her drinkformula or preferences, and/or any other customer specific informationor preferences. In some embodiments, the system (or an owner or operatorthereof) may issue proprietary cups that the kiosk recognizes withouttouching them (e.g., using RFID technology or other wireless or opticaltechniques). In general, the automated kiosk may be a coffee machinethat recognizes the customer in one or more ways: using RFID tags oncups, using RFID tags in or on the customer's car (e.g., in adrive-through location), using plastic cards with magnetic stripes,using smart cards, using facial recognition, using voice recognition,using mobile device applications (such as “bump”), using opticalrecognition (such as license plate recognition software), and/or using aunique ID as entered on a keyboard or key pad.

There may be various potential opportunities for customerdissatisfaction relating to waiting in line at a kiosk. Of particularconcern may be the situation in which a regular customer is standing inline while a new customer in front of them tries to figure out how orwhat to order. For some kiosks, the majority of sales may come in asmall number (e.g., one or two) focused time slots of high demand,during which customers may have to wait longer for their drinks. Inaddition, it takes a certain amount of time to process espresso andother brewed drinks, and that time requirement may be detrimental tocustomer satisfaction, given the variety of combinations of differentsizes and ingredients that may be available to each customer. Somekiosks may include only a single touch screen on which customers canplace an order at the kiosk itself. However, one element of redundancyin the system may be its Internet connection, through which multipleorders may be received.

The systems described herein may provide a variety of mechanisms toreduce or mitigate customer dissatisfaction due to these and otherinconveniences. For example, in some embodiments, the system may beconfigured to allow customers to order ahead (e.g., to pre-order beforearriving at the kiosk or while standing in line) on the web, through asmartphone application, by sending a text message, or using otherelectronic, wired, or wireless communication methods. Allowing customersto utilize their own screens for placing orders, in addition to thoseprovided at the kiosk, may allow multiple orders to be placed at once.In some embodiments, the system may include one presenter for deliveringwalk-up orders (e.g., in the order in which they were entered at thekiosk) and a second presenter (e.g., a “will-call” presenter) configuredto deliver drinks ordered remotely.

In some embodiments, the system may include multiple instances of theprocess sub-modules for the slower process (e.g., steamers and espressotubes) in any one kiosk. These sub-modules may also form redundancy incase of the malfunction of any one instance of the sub-modules. In someembodiments, the system may implement any of a variety of scheduling andprioritizing algorithms (which may be reminiscent of schedulingalgorithms used in multi-thread, multi-core computer processing) thatallow one kiosk to process multiple drinks at once. For example, inthese systems, resources may be shared between two or more processmodules and/or for the production of different types of beverages (atthe same time or at different times). The system may include one or moreshared staging areas in which partially and/or fully completed drinksmay be stored.

In some embodiments, in addition to storing information about theirfavorite drinks (e.g., the identifiers of the recipes of their favoritedrinks) in a local or remote database that is accessible to the kiosk,customers may be able to store information about their preferreddelivery time(s) and/or favorite location(s). In some embodiments, thesystem may speculatively or preemptively schedule the production of abeverage for a regular customer or for an anticipated demand based oncustomer-specific, or location-specific (e.g., kiosk-specific) demandhistory. For example, a commuter who always takes the 8:15 train mayhave their favorite drink ready and waiting for them at 8:43 at the topof the escalator at their subway stop. In this case, the processing timefrom the customer's perspective may be on the order of 10 seconds. Forexample, when they reach the kiosk, they bump their smartphone, and thedrink (which was already generated and then stored in a staging area) ispresented.

In some embodiments, the response time for a walk-up customer may not beimpacted by the variety of ordering options described above, because thesystem may prioritize walk-up orders over speculative orders andpre-orders (i.e. “will-call” orders). In such embodiments, walk-uporders may receive the highest priority, and production of any“will-call” orders that are being processed when a walk-up order isplaced may be paused to allow production of the walk-up order to advancequickly through the required steps. In some embodiments, the priority oftime sensitive drinks (such as espresso) may be raised as their targetdelivery time approaches.

One embodiment of a method for scheduling and carrying out theproduction of brewed beverages in a system such as those describedherein is illustrated by the flow diagram in FIG. 25. As illustrated inthis example, the method may include the system receiving a request toproduce a specified brewed beverage, as in 2510. For example, a requestto produce a beverage may be received through a user interface on anautomated kiosk (e.g., by a walk-up customer) or may be received throughan Internet connection (e.g., as an order placed remotely from acomputer or smartphone through a web browser or ordering application).As illustrated in this example, the method may include the system (or ascheduler or master controller thereof) determining whether it is timeto advance production of the requested beverage to the next process step(e.g., the next chemical or mechanical process) in its production flow,as in 2515. For example, if the order has just been received, the system(or the scheduler or master controller thereof) may be configured todetermine whether it is time to begin processing the request dependenton a requested delivery time, the status of the system, the availabilityof the necessary raw ingredients, the number and/or type of otherbeverages currently being produced by the system (if any), theavailability of resources needed to begin processing the request, and/orother factors.

If the system (or a scheduler or master controller thereof) determinesthat it is not time to advance production of the requested beverage(shown as the negative exit from 2515), but the production of otherbeverage(s) is in progress (shown as the positive exit from 2520), themethod may include performing one or more steps involved in theproduction of one or more of the other beverage(s) in the meantime, asin 2525. If the system (or a scheduler or master controller thereof)determines that it is not time to advance production of the requestedbeverage (shown as the negative exit from 2515), but no other beverageproduction operations are in progress (shown as the negative exit from2520), the method may include waiting for the system to determine thatit is time to advance production of the requested beverage withoutperforming any other beverage production processes. This is illustratedin FIG. 25 by the feedback from 2525 to 2515.

If the system (or a scheduler or master controller thereof) determinesthat it is time to advance production of the requested beverage (shownas the positive exit from 2515), the method may include performing oneor more steps involved in the production of the specified beverage, asin 2530, and (in some cases) staging the beverage in progress (e.g., ina WIP staging area). If there are more steps required to produce thespecified beverage (shown as the positive exit from 2535), the methodmay include repeating the operations shown as 2515-2535 until all of thesteps required to produce the specified beverage have been performed.This is shown in FIG. 25 as the feedback from 2535 to 2515.

If, once the specified beverage has been produced (shown as the positiveexit from 2540), the system (or a scheduler or master controllerthereof) determines that it is not time to present the requestedbeverage (e.g., if the customer is not yet available to receive thespecified beverage), but the system (or a scheduler or master controllerthereof) determines that it is time to present other beverages (e.g., toother customers), the method may include presenting one or more otherbeverages for pick up. This is illustrated in FIG. 25 as the negativeexit from 2540, the positive exit from 2545, and element 2550. If thesystem (or a scheduler or master controller thereof) determines that itis not time to present the requested beverage (e.g., if the customer isnot yet available to receive the specified beverage), and that it is nottime to present any other beverages, the method may include waitinguntil it can determine that it is time to present the requested beverageor one or more other beverages for pick up. This is illustrated in FIG.25 as the negative exit from 2540, the negative exit from 2545, and thefeedback to element 2540. If the system (or a scheduler or mastercontroller thereof) determines that it is time to present the requestedbeverage, the specified beverage may be presented, as in 2560.

Remote Order Software

As previously noted, customers may interact with the automated beveragegeneration systems described herein using customer applications (e.g.,applications for the web and/or for smartphones). In variousembodiments, such applications may perform (or enable the system toprovide) any of a variety of scheduling related functions, including anyor all of those described below. For example, these applications mayallow a customer to choose either the closest kiosk, or their favoritekiosk, as the kiosk to produce their requested beverage(s). Theapplications may allow a customer to place an order for a single drinkor for multiple drinks based on their own ordering history and favoritedrinks, or from a menu of drinks available from the selected kiosk. Insome embodiments, the applications may, based on GPS distance, routing,and/or traffic congestion information, enable the system to recommend atime and/or a location at which the drink(s) should be prepared andready for pick up. The applications may allow a customer to selecteither their favorite time/location, or a time/location that wasproposed by the system based on their location and other information (asdescribed above). If no GPS information is available, or in the case ofa web application, the customer may simply select from a list offavorite times/locations or may input that information directly orthrough a map based kiosk finder, in some embodiments.

In some embodiments, the applications may enable the system to take intoaccount any lack of availability of the particular ingredients andadditives or functions (e.g., due to the configuration of the equipmentor the status or availability of various process modules) needed toprocess a specific drink at any location when recommending or acceptinga particular kiosk order. In some embodiments, the information stored ina local or remote database about a customer's favorite drink may includea preferred location and/or retrieval time, which may be accessed by theapplications to speed up a regular order (e.g., in the case of acommuter that has a regular schedule). Based on an algorithm that takesinto account historical and current loads (e.g., current and historicaldemand for beverages), the scheduler software executing in (or on behalfof) the kiosk may determine when to start processing the drink in orderto meet the scheduled delivery time. In some embodiments, the schedulingsoftware may cause a text message to be sent to a customer when theirorder is complete and waiting, or the web or smartphone application mayprovide an indication to the customer when the order is complete andwaiting. In some embodiments, the web or smartphone application maycommunicate the progress of a customer's order to the customer (e.g.,the application may display this information graphically on thesmartphone) or may communicate other information to the customer relatedto their order (e.g., it may suggest an alternative retrieval time tomake sure the coffee is created shortly before they arrive).

In some embodiments, when a customer arrives at the kiosk, they mayapproach a “will-call” presenter (which may be a different presenterthan a presenter under a touch-screen or other local ordering mechanismat which beverages for any walk-up customers are presented). To retrievetheir order, they may swipe their loyalty card or bump their smartphone(for example, an iPhone® device) and the prepared drink may be presentedright away in the “will-call” presenter. In some embodiments, if a“will-call” order includes multiple drinks, a load-cell in the presentermay recognize when each drink is picked up, and may retrieve the nextdrink from the staging area. This may allow someone to pick up amultiple drink order with no delay, and without causing a delay to anyother customers in line. In some embodiments, when the load-cellrecognizes the retrieval of a drink (or the last drink in a multipledrink order), this may trigger the display of a thank you message at thebottom of the digital signage on the kiosk to thank the “will-call”customer for their business.

As previously noted, there may be two or more lines or queues for thecustomers at the kiosk location. One or more may be for “will-call”customers, while the other(s) may be for retrieval of orders placed atthe kiosk (e.g., on a local touch screen). In some embodiments, if forsome reason, an order that has been staged for pick up is not picked upafter a certain period of time, the order may be discarded, and amessage may be sent to the customer (e.g. by text or through a web orsmartphone application). If this is the first time this has happened foran order placed by a particular customer, a credit may be issued to thecustomer. If the customer who did not retrieve the order is a repeatoffender, their account may be charged for the drink even though theydid not pick it up. In some embodiments, if a customer arrives ahead oftime (e.g., if they arrive prior to the target pick up time) and theirorder is not yet ready, the scheduler may raise the priority of theirorder so that it can be processed though the rest of the steps quickly.

One embodiment of a method for scheduling and carrying out theproduction of brewed beverages based on demand history is illustrated bythe flow diagram in FIG. 26. As illustrated in this example, the methodmay include accessing information reflecting historical demand at agiven automated beverage kiosk, as in 2610. For example, in someembodiments, a local or remote database may store information aboutpatterns of requests (e.g., the types of requests received and the timesat which they are placed or are requested to be delivered) for each of aplurality of customers and/or for the system or kiosk overall). If thedemand information indicates a regular pattern of orders for a givencustomer in an upcoming time period (shown as the positive exit from2620), the system may be configured to speculatively schedule (or queuefor scheduling) one or more regularly ordered beverage(s) to becompleted in the upcoming time period on behalf of the customer, as in2630. In other words, in some embodiments, the method may includespeculatively placing an order on behalf of a customer if the systempredicts that the customer will be placing the order (based on thecustomer's recent order history). For example, if the customer hasplaced an order for his favorite beverage to be delivered between 8:35and 8:40 am on 10 consecutive days, the method may include preemptivelyadding an order for the favorite beverage into the scheduling queue withan expected delivery time of 8:35 am. If the demand information does notindicate a regular pattern of orders for any customers in an upcomingtime period (shown as the negative exit from 2620), the system may notschedule any such speculative orders for delivery in the upcoming timeperiod.

As illustrated in this example, if the demand information indicates aregular pattern of demand (for the kiosk as a whole) within an upcomingtime period (shown as the positive exit from 2640), the method mayinclude scheduling (or queuing for scheduling) a request to produce oneor more beverage(s) to be completed in the upcoming time period, as in2650. For example, if the demand information indicates that at least agiven number of beverages of a particular type have been ordered between7:00 am and 7:20 am every weekday for the past two weeks, the system maybe configured to preemptively schedule the given number of beverages ofthe particular type to be ready for delivery at 7:00 am (e.g., to bestored in a finished product staging area in the case of cold drinks),or to preemptively schedule the given number of beverages of theparticular type to be partially completed (e.g., to be stored in a WIPstaging area by 7:00 am in the case of hot beverages or any beveragewith a particularly time-sensitive recipe or finishing process).Similarly, if the demand information indicates that at least a givennumber of beverages that include the same base coffee have been orderedbetween 8:00 am and 8:30 am every day for the past three weeks, thesystem may be configured to preemptively schedule and produce enough ofthe common base coffee before 8:00 to satisfy the expected demand. Ifthe demand information does not indicate a regular pattern of demand(for the kiosk as a whole) within an upcoming time period (shown as thenegative exit from 2640), the system may not preemptively schedule orproduce any beverages or base coffee for delivery in the upcoming timeperiod.

As illustrated in FIG. 26, if any beverage orders have been received forpick up or delivery in an upcoming time period (shown as the positiveexit from 2660), the method may include scheduling (or queuing forscheduling) production of one or more beverages for those orders fordelivery in the upcoming time period, as in 2670. If no beverage ordershave been received for pick up or delivery in an upcoming time period(shown as the negative exit from 2660), no requests for beverages may bescheduled (or queued for scheduling) based on explicitly received ordersfor beverages to be ready for pick up in the upcoming time period. Asillustrated in FIG. 26, the method may include balance the production ofbeverage(s) for predicted customer orders, preemptive restocking ofcommon orders, and/or received orders to be ready for pick up in theupcoming time period according to pre-determined priorities, as in 2680.For example, in some embodiments, the system may assign a higherpriority to the production of beverages for walk-up customers and ordersplaced remotely than to beverages being speculatively or preemptivelyproduced based on customer-specific or kiosk-specific demand history(e.g., drinks being made to stock an inventory of commonly ordered iceddrinks, or coffee base being produced prior to an anticipate period ofhigh demand). In other embodiments, a high priority may be assigned tostock production if demand is historically high or the stock is beingrapidly depleted.

Kiosk Hardware and Software

In some embodiments, the systems described herein may be configured toprocess multiple beverage orders concurrently, rather than implementinga single thread coffee production process. This coffee productionprocess may be reminiscent of the multithread processing performed bycomputer processors or computer operating systems. In some embodiments,when shared resources are idle because the production of one beveragecannot proceed until a particular resource is available, the schedulermay cause the machine to apply available resources to the production ofanother beverage or to production of one or more drinks for anotherorder, and production of the other drink(s) may proceed until theparticular resource is available and production of the beverage whoseprogress was stalled is able to continue (i.e. advance). In someembodiments, various elements of the espresso brewer (e.g., the frother,the liquid filler, and the ice handler) may be shared resources that maybe required for the production of multiple beverages at a time.

Given the targeted demand for beverages (which may be based onhistorical demand information), some kiosks may include multipleinstances of particular resources available to assist in balancing thework to be performed and to maximize overall throughput. For example, agiven kiosk may include multiple espresso brewers and/or frothing units.In some embodiments, the master controller or scheduler may manage theefficiency of the process by correctly (and judiciously) allocating theappropriate amount of hardware to each order (or drink thereof) in orderto optimize the performance and economics (e.g., in terms of resourceutilization and throughput capacity) of the machine. In someembodiments, a kiosk may include multiple instances of those elementsthat are most likely to fail, adding redundancy into the system.

In some embodiments, the kiosk may include an in-process staging areaand a completed order staging area for finished or partially finisheddrinks. In such embodiments, as the master controller or schedulerallocates resources to production of one drink and then another, thepartially completed drinks may be retrieved from the in-process stagingarea so that production of those drinks can continue. In someembodiments, each order may be assigned to a specific location in thestaging area by the scheduler. In some embodiments, the in-processstaging area may resemble (or be thought of as) a grid of static cupholders (e.g., one with 2 rows and 8 columns of cup holders) in whichpartially completed drinks may be staged between process steps. Acompleted order staging area may have an arrangement similar to that ofthe in-process staging area or a different arrangement. A single orderfor multiple drinks (e.g., one placed by an office administrator onbehalf of the office staff) may be assigned multiple locations in thestaging area, and each drink may follow its own production processthread (multiple ones of which may be processed concurrently). Each ofthe staging areas may be divided into heated and cooled staging areas.

In some embodiments, each coffee processing function may be considered asub-module resource, and the machine may be constructed as a modularframework in which multiple instances of a particular resource could beinstalled. For example, an espresso sub-module may include a rotaryactuator, one or more ultrasonic transducers, a tamper, and a mechanismto access to the output of one or more coffee grinders. A examplemachine may include four espresso modules, three frothing stations, oneice handler, one filler, two empty cup storage modules, and oneclean-in-place module.

In some embodiments, the master controller (or control software) for thekiosk may be configured to continuously assess the inventory ofresources that are functioning and available, as well as the availableconsumable ingredients. In other embodiments, another controller (ormicrocontroller) may control all the functions within the kiosk (e.g.,the scheduler). The scheduler may communicate with all of the availablesub-module controllers, may issue commands to those controllers, maydirect the movement of cups and/or may control various functions of thesub-modules.

The operations of the scheduled may be further illustrated by thefollowing example scenario. In this example, there are multiple ordersqueued up, and a customer is working through the touch screen interfaceto place an order. The scheduler may look at the available resources,and may determine, for example, that one frother is busy, that a secondfrother is available, and that one cup has had milk dispensed into itand is sitting in the staging area, but it is not yet been frothed. Thescheduler may directs the XYZ actuator to pick up the cup with thedispensed milk from the staging area and move it to the second idlefrothing module. It may then send a command to that second frothingmodule to froth the milk to the prescribed temperature. Meanwhile, thefirst frothing unit that was busy, may issue a communication back to thescheduler that the frothing that was in progress is now done. In thisexample, once the scheduler sees that the first frothing unit hascompleted frothing, and that the XYZ transporter is free, it may send acommand to the XYZ transporter to pick up the cup from the firstfrother, and (if an espresso resource is available and ready to receivea cup) take the cup to that espresso resource. If no espresso resourceis available or ready, then XYZ transporter may be commanded to take thecup to the staging area.

As previously noted, the scheduler may prioritize certain jobs overothers. For example, a customer that is standing at the machine mayplace his/her order, and once it is placed, orders that are beingprepared ahead of time for “will-call” customers may be placed in thestaging area partially finished. The new order placed at the kiosk maythen be assigned a high (or the highest) priority and be rushed throughthe process. Once that order has gone through its critical steps,processing of any “will-call” orders that were staged to allow thatorder to be rushed through processing may resume. In some embodiments,the scheduler may notice that an order is in the process of being placedand may reserve an available resource (e.g., a frother) in anticipationof the order, rather than starting a “will-call” frothing operationusing that resource. A similar approach may be taken for backgroundprocessing of iced coffee or tea. It may be desirable for the machine tobuild up stock of iced coffee or tea, which may be cooled and stored forlater dispensing. However, those processes may be assigned a lowerpriority than customer orders, except in the case that the cold stock israpidly being depleted, in which case they may actually be given ahigher priority to maintain a safe level of inventory.

One embodiment of a method for utilizing shared resources when producinga brewed beverage in a system such as that described herein isillustrated by the flow diagram in FIG. 27. As illustrated in thisexample, the method may include receiving a plurality of requests toproduce specified brewed beverages through multiple user interfaces(e.g., at a kiosk or remotely), as in 2710. The method may includeaccepting at least a portion of the received requests dependent on theavailability of required ingredients and/or resources needed to performthe various chemical and/or mechanical processes to produce thespecified beverages, as in 2720. In various embodiments, if theautomated kiosk does not have required ingredients and/or availableresources needed to produce a requested beverage at the requesteddelivery time, the request may be declined, or the customer may be askedfor authorization to direct the order to a different kiosk that is ableto produce the beverage in the desired timeframe (e.g., if it is aremotely place order).

As illustrated in FIG. 27, the method may include incorporating theaccepted requests into a scheduling queue dependent on a requested ortarget delivery or pick up time for each request (e.g., a delivery orpick up time requested by customer or a target delivery time for aspeculative or preemptive order request made by the mastercontroller/scheduler), as in 2730. The method may include beginningproduction of a particular beverage in the queue, as in 2740, andadvancing production of the particular beverage, as resources areavailable (as in 2750). As illustrated in this example, a partiallycompleted beverage may be staged between processes until resources areavailable for the next required step. In some embodiments, progressupdates may be provided to the customer as production of the beverageadvances. For example, updates may be displayed at the kiosk or providedto the customer remotely (e.g., through a web browser or orderingapplication on a remote computer or smartphone). The particular beveragemay be presented to the customer when it is completed, or staged at a“will-call” area until customer arrives for pick up (or is otherwiseavailable to take delivery of the beverage), as in 2760.

In various embodiments, an overall production process for a specifickiosk may include any or all of the features that follow. Multipleorders may be placed at the same time on multiple screens owned by thecustomers. There may be a queue of orders, each with a specifieddelivery time (e.g., a requested or target delivery time). There may bean inventory of available resources (e.g., 2 espresso units, 3 frothers,2 cup dispensers, etc.) in the particular kiosk. There may be a certainWIP (work-in-progress) inventory of drinks in various states ofcompletion, with varying levels of priority. There may be a staging areafor both in-process drinks and finished drinks. Each may include twostaging areas, e.g., one for hot drinks, and one for cold drinks. Theremay be two “presenters”. One may be near the touch screen (e.g., underit or next to it), and one may be near the digital signage display(e.g., under it). The presenter under the digital signage may be the“will-call” presenter

In some embodiments, the lower few inches of the digital signage displaymay be reserved for one-way communications with customers when they pickup their orders at the “will-call” presenter. In some embodiments, theremay be a second card reader (or another means to identify the customer,such as a bump module or RFID reader) next to the digital signage wherepeople may identify themselves for orders in the “will-call” processingor pick up queue. In some cases, a particular kiosk may be equipped sothat it can handle a specific traffic pattern. For example, if a kioskis chronically over-utilized or under-utilized, the configuration ofsub-modules may be adjusted and/or re-deployed to another kiosk tobalance capacity with demand. One or more of the most expensivecomponents of the kiosk (e.g., the ice maker) may be leveraged bymultiple instances of lower-cost and/or critical path components such asfrothers and espresso units.

In a location in which there is seating in the vicinity of the kiosk,customers may be able to order from their seats and be prompted when thedrink is ready for pick up through, for example, two way or broadcastcommunication with a mobile device. This communication may be a textmessage or another type of communication made through a proprietarymobile phone or computer application. In a restaurant in which the kioskprovides the coffee solution, the machine may be tied to (i.e.integrated with) the point-of-sale (POS) ordering system of therestaurant. For example, a waiter may enter an order for espresso,coffee, tea, or chai in the POS along with the rest of the order, andthe drink order may be delivered to the coffee machine just as the maindish order is issued to the kitchen. In a retail application (such as aconvenience store or retail outlet such as Home Depot, Wal-Mart, or anyother retail outlet), a drink order made at a kiosk in the store (andits cost) may be communicated to the POS system in the store, so that itmay be paid for along with other purchases using a single payment. Thiscommunication may be implemented with a paper receipt or may be anelectronic communication, and it may include unique information, such asa loyalty card or credit card swipe, or other identification of thecustomer or the drink order, using, for example, an RFID tag or phonebump. In some embodiments, a POS/self-service checkout station may becombined with the kiosk. For example, a customer at a convenience storeor supermarket may be able pay for items purchased in combination withtheir coffee purchase, or the kiosk may produce a printed or anelectronic message/transaction to an alternative POS (for example thecheckout at a convenience store or a supermarket). The cost of a drinkobtained from the kiosk may be added to the loyalty program for eitherthe kiosk owner or alternatively to the supermarket/convenience owner.

In some embodiments, cup storage may be divided into sub-modules thatare specific to particular cup sizes and/or that are adjustable based ondemand. For example, a particular kiosk may be outfitted to handle 800cups between services, while another kiosk may only be outfitted tohandle 300 cups. The mix of cup sub-modules (e.g., the mix of small,medium and/or large cups) may be site-specific or season-specific. Forexample, more large and/or plastic cups may be needed in the summer tohandle iced drinks, while more paper handlers may be needed in thewinter for hot drinks. In some embodiments, the kiosk may include acommercially available cup handler. For example, in one such commercialcup handler, each module may include a fixed number of tubes that swingon an axis. The cup dispenser actuator may move under the appropriatestack and may move the stack through the opposing “teeth” fixed at thebottom of each stack. In some embodiments, the scheduler may know howmany cups are in each stack at any given time.

In some embodiments, an additional function of the scheduler may be tomanage the clean-in-place (CIP) process, which may be a shared resourcejust like the drink production process modules (e.g., the espresso andfrothing modules). As with some of the other modules, the CIP module mayhave the ability to travel using an XYZ actuator. In variousembodiments, each process module may require periodic self-washingand/or self-cleaning. The scheduler may be configured to determinewhether there is an upcoming requirement to clean a particular element(e.g., an espresso unit) between functional cycles. For example, whenthere is a gap in demand from customers, the scheduler may direct that aparticular resource should be washed or cleaned. In some embodiments,this may be done before the cleaning is absolutely required so that theresource may not need to be pulled out of service due to cleaningrequirements. The scheduler may also be configured to look at demandpatterns and to recognize that a particular resource may be pulledoff-line for service (e.g., that it is currently idle and may beserviced without disrupting production).

One embodiment of a method for sharing resources when producing multiplebrewed beverages in a system such as that described herein isillustrated by the flow diagram in FIG. 28. As illustrated at 2810, inthis example, the method may include receiving a request to produce aspecified brewed beverage. For example, a request to produce a beveragemay be received through a user interface on an automated kiosk (e.g., bya walk-up customer), may be received through an Internet connection(e.g., as an order placed remotely from a computer or smartphone througha web browser or ordering application), or may be received from themaster controller/scheduler (e.g., as a predicted or preemptive order).As illustrated in this example, the method may include the system (or ascheduler or master controller thereof) determining whether one or morerequired resources are available for the next process step (e.g., thenext chemical or mechanical process) in its production flow, as in 2815.For example, if the order has just been received, the system (or thescheduler or master controller thereof) may be configured to determinewhether resources are available to begin processing the requestdependent on the status of the system, the availability of the necessaryraw ingredients, the number and/or type of other beverages currentlybeing produced by the system (if any), the availability of resourcesneeded to begin processing the request, and/or other factors.

If the system (or a scheduler or master controller thereof) determinesthat resources are not available to perform the next step (shown as thenegative exit from 2815), but the production of another beverage is inprogress (shown as the positive exit from 2820), and a resource isavailable for advancing production of the other beverage (shown as thepositive exit from 2825), the method may include performing one or moresteps involved in the production of the other beverage in the meantime,as in 2830, and staging the results. For example, a lower prioritybeverage may be able to make progress if resources needed to perform oneor more next steps in its production are available while resourcesneeded to perform a next step in the production of a higher prioritybeverage are not available.

If the system (or a scheduler or master controller thereof) determinesthat resources are not available to perform the next step (shown as thenegative exit from 2815), that the production of another beverage is inprogress (shown as the positive exit from 2820), but that no resourcesare available for advancing production of the other beverage (shown asthe negative exit from 2825), the method may include waiting forresources to become available for advancing production of the specifiedbeverage or the other beverage. Similarly, if the system (or a scheduleror master controller thereof) determines that resources are notavailable to perform the next step (shown as the negative exit from2815), but no other beverage production operations are in progress(shown as the negative exit from 2820), the method may include waitingfor resources to become available for advancing production of thespecified beverage without performing any other beverage productionprocesses. This is illustrated in FIG. 28 by the feedback from 2820 or2825 to element 2815.

As illustrated in this example, if the system (or a scheduler or mastercontroller thereof) determines that resources are available to performthe next step (shown as the positive exit from 2815), the method mayinclude performing one or more next steps involved in the production ofthe specified beverage, and (in some cases) staging the beverage inprogress (e.g., in a WIP staging area). If there are more steps requiredto produce the specified beverage (shown as the positive exit from2845), the method may include repeating the operations shown as2815-2845 until all of the steps required to produce the specifiedbeverage have been performed. This is shown in FIG. 28 as the feedbackfrom 2845 to 2815.

If, once the specified beverage has been produced (shown as the positiveexit from 2845), the system (or a scheduler or master controllerthereof) determines that the customer is not yet present and availableto take delivery of the specified beverage, but the system (or ascheduler or master controller thereof) determines that one or moreother customers are present for order pick up, the method may includepresenting one or more other completed beverages for pick up. This isillustrated in FIG. 28 as the negative exit from 2850, the positive exitfrom 2855, and element 2865. If the system (or a scheduler or mastercontroller thereof) determines that the customer is not yet present andavailable to take delivery of the specified beverage, and that no othercustomers are present for order pick up, the method may include waitinguntil it can determine the customer is present and available to takedelivery of the specified beverage. This is illustrated in FIG. 28 asthe negative exit from 2850, the negative exit from 2855, and thefeedback to element 2850. If the system (or a scheduler or mastercontroller thereof) determines that the customer is present andavailable to take delivery of the specified beverage, the specifiedbeverage may be presented, as in 2860.

As previously noted the automated beverage generation systems describedherein may be implemented as modular coffee kiosks, and may, in variousembodiments, include one or more instances of any of the componentsdescribed herein in any of a variety of configurations. For example,they may include any number and/or configuration of schedulers, espressounit(s) (each of which may include one or more rotary actuators,ultrasonic transducers, tampers, and mechanisms to access the output ofone or more coffee grinder), frothing station(s), ice maker/handler(s),liquid filler(s), cup storage/dispenser module(s), clean-in-placemodules(s), XYZ actuator/transporter(s), display/UI module(s),presenter(s), WIP staging area(s), completed order staging area(s),ingredient storage modules (for dry, wet, hot, and/or cold ingredients),compressor(s), or any other functional components.

FIG. 29 is a block diagram illustrating various interconnected modulesof an example automated coffee kiosk, according to one embodiment. Asillustrated in this example, a single modular coffee kiosk may includetwo input screens (2901 and 2902), an Internet connection module (2903),and one or more other input/output (I/O) components (2904) forcommunication between the machine and customers, between the machine anda remote computing system and/or database stored thereon, etc. Invarious embodiments, additional I/O devices 2904 may include one or moreof: a credit card/loyalty card and/or RFID reader, proximity sensor,loyalty card dispenser, coin/bill acceptor/changer, receipt printer,video capture, audio interface (microphone and/or speaker), or other I/Odevices.

As illustrated in this example, the modular coffee kiosk may include asingle liquid filler (2910), two espresso units (coffee expressors 2911and 2912), three frothing units (frothers 2920, 2921, and 2922), an XYZactuator (2930), a single finisher (2935), and a single icemaker/handler (2940). As described above, any of the modules may beconsidered shared resources that may be assigned at different times bythe master controller or scheduler to the production of drinks forvarious orders. As illustrated in FIG. 29, the modular coffee kiosk mayinclude a single master controller/scheduler (2950), a singleclean-in-place module (2955), a single ingredient storage/dispensermodule (2960), a work-in-progress (WIP) staging area (2945), two cupdispensers (2970 and 2971), a finished beverage staging area (2965), andtwo presenters (2980 and 2981).

FIG. 30 is a block diagram illustrating a representation of the frontview of the configuration of modular components in an automated coffeekiosk, according to one embodiment. Visible in this view are: theelectrical service panel 3006, the sump pump 3012, the cooler 3014, asteam generator (3024), the display module 3002, two XYZ actuators (3010and 3016), a collection of process modules 3026 (e.g., espresso units,frothers, etc.), a dispensing module (presenter) 3004, a compressor3028, a cup handler 3008, an ice head 3018, several grinders 3022,several hoppers 3020 (for dispensing ingredients), and a steam generator3024.

The representation illustrated in FIG. 30 depicts the normal operatingpositions of the interior modules, while the display module is shown ashaving been moved forward for servicing of one or more interior modules.In this example, the XYZ actuator 3010 travels to each functional moduleto deliver and retrieve cups. Another XYZ actuator (3016) is shown belowthe collection of process modules 3026. In various embodiments, displaymodule 3002 may include a combination of one or more digital signagedisplays, touch screens, card readers, card dispensers, and/or keypads,and may also include associated computer hardware to support the userinterface components. In some embodiments, display module 3002 mayinclude or be a component of an industrial-grade computer, which mayinclude a media player, firewall, router, modem, and/or othercomponents.

FIG. 31 is a block diagram illustrating a representation of a rear viewof the configuration of modular components in the automated coffee kioskdepicted in FIG. 30, according to one embodiment. Visible in this view(in addition to some of the modules described above in reference to FIG.30) are: a hot water cylinder (3102), the WIP staging area (3106), acooling heat exchanger 3108, an additional XYZ actuator 3104, a CIPmodule 3110, and an ice tower 3112.

In this example, the cylinder (3102) represents the hot water loop,which may be maintained at 200° F. using a pump circulating waterthrough both an industrial instant heater and a storage tank. The WIPstaging area (3106) is the area in which cups may be stored for productthat is in process, and/or for product that is complete and ready forpick up by a “will-call” customer. The WIP staging area may be dividedinto different sections for hot and cold drinks. The cooling heatexchanger 3108 may perform air-cooling and dehumidifying functions. Insome embodiments, it may use ice from the ice head 3018. In thisexample, XYZ actuator 3104 is shown in the area under the cup handler3008. This actuator may travel to accept cups and to store and/orretrieve drinks that are in-process (e.g., WIP).

In some embodiments, any or all of the hoppers 3020 may be on anactuator that can move them forward, and then lower them (e.g., toenable servicing). As previously noted, the series of adjacent boxes3026 represents an array of modules that perform the various drinkproduction functions, such as espresso generation and milk foaming. Inthis example, there are two hoppers 3020 for coffee beans, and thecylinders below them represent the grinders 3022 (shown in FIG. 30).Below the array of process modules 3026 is a CIP module 3110 thatservices the modules above. Ice tower 3112 performs the cooling functionfor the tubes of fluids coming from the storage cooler 3014 to thedispensing module 3004. In some embodiments, the cup holder module 3008may be articulated to the right and down to allow service personnel toload cups into the holder. After loading, it may be re-positioned byraising it and moving it to the left.

In some embodiments, the system may respond to host requests and controlthe coffee expressor while waiting for a new customer. When a customeris detected, the system may prompt the customer to insert a loyalty cardif it is not already inserted. If the customer will use a loyalty card,the system may retrieve customer data from database on the host server.For example, the system may read the card identification number, andsend the card number to the host server. The host may respond by sendingthe customer's recent purchase history and card balance. The purchasehistory may then be displayed on an LCD or another display device as aseries (or list) of descriptive links, and each of the links may showspecific drink customizations made by the customer in a prior order. Insome embodiments, the inventory may be checked by the master controllerto make sure that the beverage corresponding to each link can beproduced. If not, the user may be warned that a particular selection isnot available.

In some embodiments, the master controller may be configured todetermine one or more alternate drink recipes (e.g., standard, custom,or new drink recipes) to be suggested or recommended to the customer(e.g., by displaying these options on the screen) based, for example, onstored customer profile information for the customer, drink preferencesof customers with similar customer profiles, popularity of drinkrecipes, or recommendations from friends of the customer. In someembodiments, the master controller may be configured to select alternatedrink recipes to be suggested or recommended to the customer based onthe collective preferences of customers who visit the kiosk (e.g., basedon the most frequently ordered drinks or customizations selected) or thecollective preferences of all or any subset of customers whose profilesare stored together in a shared database accessible to the mastercontroller. In some embodiments, the customer may touch an intuitivelink in the list displayed on the touch screen that describes apreviously ordered beverage (or group of beverages) that the customerwould like to order again. In various embodiments, the user may selectone of the links (e.g., to order a favorite drink), select an option toenter a new order (e.g., by choosing a different drink from a standardor default menu, or creating a new recipe by customizing a selectionfrom a standard or default menu), or cancel the transaction. If thecustomer is not using a loyalty card, a default menu of available drinksmay be displayed as a series of descriptive links.

Once a link has been pressed, the selected link may be highlighted and adisplay may prompt the customer to indicate whether they would like tofurther customize the order, or accept the same options as last time. Ifthey choose to customize the drink, a new screen may be presentedgraphically showing the selection and customization options. Forexample, slider bars presented on a touch screen may indicate current,prior, default, minimum, and/or maximum levels of strength, sweeteners,flavoring, and other customizable options for a selected drink, alongwith their costs, and various drink customizations may be selected bychanging the position of one or more sliders on their respective sliderbars. In some embodiments, an addition user interface mechanism (e.g., aradio button) may be selected in order to override a default, minimum,or maximum setting for a customizable option. Selecting a “back” buttonmay allow the customer to go back to the list drinks and/orcustomization options. In some embodiments, the customer may also beprompted to indicate whether they would like to order another drink. Ifso, any or all of the selection and/or customization steps describedabove may be repeated for one or more additional drinks. In someembodiments the user may be prompted to confirm the drink or drinks thathave been selected and/or customized. For example, a button on the touchscreen may be pressed by the customer to confirm that the drink (ordrinks) should be produced.

Once the customer has confirmed the selection of one or more drinks, theprice of the selected drink(s) may be displayed and the customer may beprompted for payment method desired, and payment may be collected. Insome embodiments, benefits of the loyalty debit card may also bedisplayed. In this example, the payment process may be completed bypaying with a credit card, debit card, or cash, or the loyalty debitcard value may be reduced by the appropriate amount for the selecteddrink(s). In other embodiments, the customer may select a third partyweb-based payment service (e.g., a payment service provided by PayPal,Inc.) through which to make payment. In such embodiment, the userinterface mechanism may be configured to prompt the customer to inputaccount information for the payment service or to navigate to a loginscreen for that service in order for the customer to complete thepayment process. If the loyalty card value is not sufficient to coverthe order, the user may be prompted to add money to the card. Forexample, in one embodiment, if the loyalty card balance is or will bebelow a pre-set minimum threshold (e.g., $2.00) after a drink purchase,the customer may be prompted to indicate whether they would like torefill it now or set up an automatic refill of the debit card based on acredit card on file for the customer's account.

Once the order is placed, a master controller (such as that describedherein) may issue a sequence of controls to effect the creation of theend product (i.e. the selected drink or drinks). In some embodiments, aprocessing screen may be presented displaying one or more message whilethe selected drink or drinks are being produced. In some embodiments,one or more messages (e.g., the story boards and/or non-profitinformation described above) may be presented to the user while theorder is being processed. In some embodiments, selected drink parametersmay be sent to the drink fulfillment controller (i.e. the mastercontroller) and the processing screen may display the progress of theorder fulfillment operation. Once order fulfillment is completed, theuser may be prompted to take the drink and to be careful. The storagetank temperature may be read and the exact temperature may be displayedto show the customer the drink temperature. In some embodiments, thepresenter may be configured to label the cup with the customer's name, arecipe name, the customization contents (i.e. drink recipe), one or morestandard or personalized messages or advertisements, a receipt for thecost of the drink, and/or any other information in text or graphics.Once a sensor detects that the cup has been taken, confirming that thecustomer has retrieved the order, a “Thank you!” prompt may bedisplayed. In various embodiments, the customer may be prompted toindicate whether they would like to order another drink, add money totheir loyalty card, purchase an additional card as a gift card, and/orprint a receipt and take their card. In some embodiments, if thecustomer has ordered multiple drinks, the operations described above maybe repeated to produce and dispense all of the selected drinks. If therewere no other drinks ordered by this customer, the system may return towaiting for (another) new customer.

In some embodiments, the process described above may be invoked inresponse to sensing an RFID tag on the customer to obtain the uniqueidentifier (customer ID) of the customer. In response to detecting theRFID, the system may prompt the customer to enter a PIN to continue theprocess of ordering. In other embodiments, a customer may be detected bya proximity sensor or by a touch on an LCD touch screen. In someembodiments, a “Welcome Screen” may be a display offering options inresponse to detection of a new customer. The system may be configured todetermine that the customer elects to use a loyalty Debit Card inresponse to the customer inserting the card or selecting a buttonindicating this intent. In some embodiments, the system may beconfigured to accept payment from a mobile phone application.

In some embodiments, a method for finishing a beverage may includereceiving drink parameters from a master controller, and, in response,dispensing an appropriate quantity of the beverage into a mixingchamber. The method may also include adding one or more sweeteners orsyrups, water, and/or a hot or cold dairy product (e.g., cream, wholemilk, half-and-half, low-fat milk, or non-fat milk) to the mixingchamber, based on the selections indicated by the received drinkparameters. Finally, the method may include delivering the contents ofthe mixing chamber to a cup, as directed by the master controller

Note that in some embodiments, the customer may wish to use their owncup. In this case they may be asked to insert the cup into the machine(e.g., the customer may be prompted to insert the cup by a messagedisplayed by the user interface mechanism). In some such embodiments,the customer may be prompted to indicate the container size (e.g., usingthe user interface mechanism) and the system may be configured todispense an appropriate quantity of a selected beverage for the size ofthe cup. The system may prepare and present the drink according to drinkparameters received from the master controller (e.g., in response tovarious user inputs). In some embodiments, the system may be configuredto deliver the selected beverage as long as the touch screen button ispressed. Data indicating the volume delivered may then be stored on theloyalty card database and made available for use on the next order.

In some embodiments, a method for dispensing a beverage may includereceiving drink parameters from a master controller. If the drinkparameters indicate that the user has selected to use their own cup, themethod may include loading the user's cup with the contents of themixing chamber. For example, the mixing chamber may contain a beveragethat has been customized by the finished according to one or morecustomer-specified drink parameters, as described herein.

If the customer did not indicate that they would use their own cup, themethod may include dispensing a cup to a carrousel, and loading the cupwith the contents of the mixing chamber. In some embodiments, the methodmay include applying a lid to the cup, and placing the cup on a conveyorbelt, ready to be delivered to the presenter. In some embodiments, afterthe contents of the mixing chamber have been dispensed into a cupprovided by the system or the user's cup, the method may include themixing chamber performing a self-cleaning operation.

As previously noted, an automated beverage generation system may includemultiple presenters for conveying the final product to the customer. Insome embodiments, a method for presenting a beverage to a customer mayinclude determining which presenter is to be used dependent on a commandfrom the master controller. In some embodiments, the method may includeelevating the next cup in line from the cup and lid dispenser to theappropriate conveyor. The method may include the conveyor bringing thecup to the customer and the customer retrieving the final product. Insome embodiments, the method may include a sensor determining if andwhen the customer retrieves the cup, and alerting the master controller.

In some embodiments, a soft keyboard may be available for use incapturing a customer's email address when they purchase or use a loyaltycard. Comments and feedback may be captured orally (e.g., via amicrophone) and stored and transmitted digitally back to the hostcomputer. Video capture and security may also be tied into the mastercontroller and may be observable by the master controller and/orremotely. For example, in some embodiments, video images and/or othersecurity data (e.g., evidence of attempts to break into or otherwisetamper with the kiosk) may be communicated to and monitored by a remoteserver. In some embodiments, a video capture device may capture an imagethat is input to a face recognition mechanism to identify the customer.In still other embodiments, a user interface mechanism comprising atouch screen or an optical, ultrasonic, or capacitance sensor may beconfigured to capture a customer's fingerprint that is input to afingerprint identification mechanism to identify the customer. In someembodiments, the design of the kiosk itself may resemble or have designcomponents that suggest an Italian Espresso machine.

As described herein, some embodiments of a system for brewing anddispensing coffee may include a coffee expressor containing two or moregravity filters configured to separate grounds from a brewed beverage,and a selection box configured (in a first position) to allow the brewedbeverage to flow through the two or more gravity filters to producefiltered expressed coffee, and (in a second position) to interrupt theflow of the brewed beverage to the two or more gravity filters and allowwaste products to be removed from the system. The system may alsoinclude a master controller configured to determine whether conditionsof the system indicate that the system should transition from a brewingcycle to a cleaning cycle, and in response, to cause the selection boxto move from the first position to the second position. In someembodiments, the master controller may include a processor and a memoryconfigured to store program instructions executable by the processor toimplement receiving one or more user or sensor inputs, and performingthe determining operating dependent on the one or more user or sensorinputs.

In some embodiments, the system may include an initial gold filterconfigured to receive a mixture of water and grounds, and to filter themixture to produce the brewed beverage. The system may also include aprecision heater configured to heat the water to a temperature suitablefor brewing the brewed beverage. In some embodiments, the system mayinclude a user interface mechanism configured to receive inputspecifying one of more of: a beverage type, a beverage additive, aserving temperature, a customer identifier, a cup preference, or apayment type. In some embodiments, the system may include an ice machineand/or an ice delivery system, and may be configured to create iceddrinks (e.g., iced coffee drinks), in addition to hot beverages. In someembodiments, the system may also include support for the production ofother drink types, including, but not limited to, iced tea, and chai. Insome embodiments, the master controller (or another component of thesystem) may be configured to calculate nutritional information for aselected drink, dependent on a base drink recipe and/or on anycustomizations selected by the customer.

The methods described herein for controlling an automated coffee brewingand dispensing system may be implemented by a computer system configuredto provide the functionality described. FIG. 32 is a block diagramillustrating one embodiment of a computer system 3200 configured toimplement a master controller and/or scheduler, a customer applicationfor communicating with an automated coffee brewing and dispensingsystem, or a remote host that stores customer and/or process-relatedinformation for one or more automated coffee brewing and dispensingkiosks and/or communicates with those kiosks and/or manage theiroperation, and/or to provide other functionality for efficientlyoperating one or more automated coffee brewing and dispensing kiosks. Invarious embodiments, computer system 3200 may be any of various types ofdevices, including, but not limited to, a personal computer system,desktop computer, laptop or notebook computer, mainframe computersystem, handheld computer, smartphone, workstation, network computer, aconsumer device, application server, storage device, a peripheral devicesuch as a switch, modem, router, a standard or custom embeddedcontroller, a standard or custom microcontroller-based system, or ingeneral any type of computing device. In the example illustrated in FIG.32, one such computer system 3200 may be located in the same physicallocation as other components of the system (e.g., in an automated kioskitself or in the vicinity of such a kiosk). In other embodiments, all ora portion of computer system 3200 may be implemented as a remote host orserver configured to communicate with the rest of the system (which mayinclude one or more automated kiosks and/or customer applicationsexecuting on customer devices) through one or more communicationinterfaces. For example, in some embodiments, all or a portion of themaster controller may be implemented on a remote host, rather than beingimplemented on a computer system physically located within an individualexpressed coffee kiosk.

As illustrated in FIG. 32, computer system 3200 may include one or moreprocessor units (CPUs) 3210. Processors 3210 may be implemented usingany desired architecture or chip set, such as an x86-compatiblearchitecture from Intel Corporation or Advanced Micro Devices, oranother architecture or chipset capable of processing data, and may invarious embodiments include multiple processors, a single threadedprocessor, a multi-threaded processor, a multi-core processor, or anyother type of general-purpose or special-purpose processor. Any desiredoperating system(s) may be run on computer system 3200, such as variousversions of Unix, Linux, Windows™ from Microsoft Corporation, MacOS™from Apple Corporation, or any other operating system that enables theoperation of software on a hardware platform.

The computer system 3200 may also include one or more system memories3220 (e.g., one or more of cache, SRAM, DRAM, RDRAM, EDO RAM, DDR RAM,SDRAM, Rambus RAM, EEPROM, or other memory type), or other types of RAMor ROM) coupled to other components of computer system 3200 viainterconnect 3230. Memory 3220 may include other types of memory aswell, or combinations thereof. One or more of memories 3220 may includeprogram instructions 3225 executable by one or more of processors 3210to implement various aspects of the techniques described herein. Programinstructions 3225 may be implemented in various embodiments using anydesired programming language, scripting language, or combination ofprogramming languages and/or scripting languages, e.g., C, C++, C#,Java™, Perl, etc.

Program instructions 3225 may be partly or fully resident within thememory 3220 of a computer system 3200 at any point in time. All or aportion of program instructions 3225 may be stored on an externalstorage device (not shown) accessible by the processor(s) 3210, in someembodiments. Any of a variety of such storage devices may be used tostore the program instructions 3225 in different embodiments, includingany desired type of persistent and/or volatile storage devices, such asindividual disks, disk arrays, optical devices (e.g., CD-ROMs, CD-RWdrives, DVD-ROMs, DVD-RW drives), flash memory devices, various types ofRAM, holographic storage, etc. The storage devices may be coupled to theprocessor(s) 3210 through one or more storage or I/O interfacesincluding, but not limited to, interconnect 3230 or network interface3240, as described herein. Memory 3220 may also be configured toimplement one or more data structures 3250, such as one or more datastructures configured to store drink recipes; advertisements, storyboards, and other messages; status information for the system; inventoryinformation for the system; an order log or purchase history for thesystem; one or more order queues, customer-specific, kiosk-specific, orsystem-wide demand information; one or more multiple-variable processprofiles; or a maintenance or service log for the system. Datastructures 3250 may also include one or more data structures configureto store, for each of a plurality of customers: a customer identifier,drink preferences, account information, a purchase history, one or morecustom drink recipes, one or more preferred standard drink recipes, ahistory of received messages, an email address, and/or any otherinformation that may be collectively referred to as a “customerprofile”. Similar information may also be stored on a loyalty debitcard, in some embodiments. All or a portion of data structures 3250 maybe stored on an external storage device (not shown) accessible by theprocessor(s) 3210, in some embodiments. Data structures 3250 may beaccessible by processor(s) 3210 when executing program instructions3225. Other information not described herein may be included in systemmemory 3220 and may be used to implement the methods described hereinand/or other functionality of computer system 3200.

In the example illustrated in FIG. 32, program instructions 3225 mayinclude instructions executable by processor(s) 3210 to receive and acton various user inputs, and to control various components of the system,as described herein. In some embodiments, program instructions 3225 mayalso include instructions executable to implement a user interface. Forexample, these instructions may be executable to provide a graphicaluser interface displayed on a touch screen or other type of monitor, toreceive inputs from a coin/bill acceptor/changer, credit/loyalty cardreader, RFID reader, video capture device, microphone, and/or proximitysensor, and/or to provide feedback through a display on a touch screenor other type of monitor. In some embodiments, program instructions 3225may include instructions executable by processor(s) 3210 to control anyor all of the process modules, communication mechanisms, and othercomponents of an automated kiosk, including those described herein, andto schedule and effect the production of drinks through the performanceof various chemical and electrical processes.

Program instructions 3225 may be provided as a computer program product,or software, that may include a non-transitory, computer-readablestorage medium having stored thereon instructions, which may be used toprogram a computer system (or other electronic devices) to implement thecontrol functions described herein. A computer-readable storage mediummay include any mechanism for storing information in a form (e.g.,software, processing application) readable by a machine (e.g., acomputer). The computer-readable storage medium may include, but is notlimited to, magnetic storage medium (e.g., floppy diskette); opticalstorage medium (e.g., CD-ROM); magneto optical storage medium; read onlymemory (ROM); random access memory (RAM); erasable programmable memory(e.g., EPROM and EEPROM); flash memory; electrical, or other types ofmedium suitable for storing program instructions. In addition, programinstructions may be communicated using optical, acoustical or other formof propagated signal (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digitalsignals, or other types of signals or mediums.).

As shown in FIG. 32, processor(s) 3210 may be coupled to one or more ofthe other illustrated components by at least one communications bus,such as interconnect 3230 (e.g., a system bus, LDT, PCI, ISA, or othercommunication bus type), and a network interface 3240 (e.g., an ATMinterface, an Ethernet interface, a Frame Relay interface, or otherinterface). Processor(s) 3210, the network interface 3240, and thesystem memory 3220 may be coupled to the interconnect 3230. It shouldalso be noted that one or more components of system 3200 might belocated remotely and accessed via a network (e.g., through networkinterface 3240).

Network interface 3240 may be configured to enable computer system 3200to communicate with other computers, systems or machines, such as acrossa network. For example, in some embodiments, computer system 3200 maycommunicate with a host server or other networked devices over a networkin order to allow data to be exchanged between computer system 3200 andthese devices. In various embodiments, network interface 3240 maysupport communication via wired or wireless general data networks, suchas any suitable type of Ethernet network, for example; viatelecommunications/telephony networks such as analog voice networks ordigital fiber communications networks; via storage area networks such asFibre Channel SANs, or via any other suitable type of network and/orprotocol (e.g., LAN, WAN, etc.). Network interface 3240 may use standardcommunications technologies and/or protocols, and may utilize linksusing technologies such as Ethernet, 802.11, integrated services digitalnetwork (ISDN), digital subscriber line (DSL), and asynchronous transfermode (ATM) as well as other communications technologies. Similarly, thenetworking protocols used on a network to which computer system 3200 isinterconnected may include multi-protocol label switching (MPLS), thetransmission control protocol/Internet protocol (TCP/IP), the UserDatagram Protocol (UDP), the hypertext transport protocol (HTTP), thesimple mail transfer protocol (SMTP), and the file transfer protocol(FTP), among other network protocols. The data exchanged over such anetwork by network interface 3240 may be represented using technologies,languages, and/or formats, such as the hypertext markup language (HTML),the extensible markup language (XML), and the simple object accessprotocol (SOAP) among other data representation technologies.Additionally, all or some of the links or data may be encrypted usingany suitable encryption technologies, such as the secure sockets layer(SSL), Secure HTTP and/or virtual private networks (VPNs), theinternational data encryption standard (DES or IDEA), triple DES,Blowfish, RC2, RC4, RC5, RC6, as well as other data encryption standardsand protocols. In other embodiments, custom and/or dedicated datacommunications, representation, and encryption technologies and/orprotocols may be used instead of, or in addition to, the particular onesdescribed above.

Computer system 3200 may also include one or more I/O input/outputdevices, in various embodiments. For example, computer system 3200 mayinclude a touch screen or other type of monitor, a coin/billacceptor/changer, a credit/loyalty card reader, an RFID reader, an imagecapture device (e.g. a video camera or still camera), a microphone, aproximity sensor, a receipt printer, a loyalty card dispenser, aspeaker, a keyboard, a mouse or other cursor control device, a joystick,or other input/output devices, or such devices may be coupled tocomputer system 3200 via interconnect 3230 and/or network interface3240. Such input/output devices may be configured to allow a user tointeract with the system to request or invoke various operations, suchas dispensing a beverage or loyalty card, adding money to a loyaltycard, configuring or modifying user preferences, etc. It will beapparent to those having ordinary skill in the art that computer system3200 may also include numerous other elements not shown in FIG. 32.

While several embodiments and illustrative drawings are included herein,those skilled in the art will recognize that embodiments are not limitedto the embodiments or drawings described. It should be understood, thatthe drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limitembodiments to the particular forms disclosed, but on the contrary, theintention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternativesfalling within the spirit and scope as defined by the appended claims.Any headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and arenot meant to limit the scope of the description or the claims.

While various techniques have been described herein with reference tovarious embodiments, it will be understood that these embodiments areillustrative and are not meant to be limiting. Many variations,modifications, additions, and improvements are possible. More generally,various techniques are described in the context of particularembodiments. For example, the blocks and logic units identified in thedescription are for ease of understanding and are not meant to belimiting to any particular embodiment. Functionality may be separated orcombined in blocks differently in various realizations or described withdifferent terminology. In various embodiments, actions or functionsdescribed herein may be performed in a different order than illustratedor described. Any of the operations described may be performedprogrammatically (i.e., by a computer according to a computer program).Any of the operations described may be performed automatically (i.e.,without user intervention).

Plural instances may be provided for components described herein as asingle instance. Boundaries between various components, operations anddata stores are somewhat arbitrary, and particular operations areillustrated in the context of specific illustrative configurations.Other allocations of functionality are envisioned and may fall withinthe scope of claims that follow. Finally, structures and functionalitypresented as discrete components in the exemplary configurations may beimplemented as a combined structure or component. These and othervariations, modifications, additions, and improvements may fall withinthe scope as defined in the claims that follow.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: an input mechanism thatis configured to receive requests to produce brewed beverages; acontroller that is configured to control the performance of a pluralityof chemical or mechanical processes, each of which contributes to theproduction of a brewed beverage or a component thereof; and a pluralityof mechanical components, each of which is configured for use during theperformance of at least one of the plurality of chemical or mechanicalprocesses; wherein in response to receiving a request to produce aspecified brewed beverage through the input mechanism, the controller isconfigured to effect the production of the specified brewed beverage,wherein producing the specified brewed beverage comprises performing oneor more of the chemical or mechanical processes, and wherein at leastone of the one or more of the plurality of chemical or mechanicalprocesses can be performed while one of the plurality of chemical ormechanical processes is being performed as a contributing process in theproduction of the specified brewed beverage or another brewed beverage;and wherein in effecting the production of the specified brewedbeverage, the controller is further configured to determine, dependenton an actual or expected demand for brewed beverages, a time at which toperform one of the one or more of the plurality of chemical ormechanical processes, and further wherein in response to determiningthat the one of the one or more of the plurality of chemical ormechanical processes should be performed at a particular time in thefuture, the controller is further configured to effect the movement ofthe specified brewed beverage in a partially completed form to a stagingarea where the specified brewed beverage is stored until the particulartime.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the request comprises anorder that was placed from a remote location, and wherein the requestindicates a time at which the specified brewed beverage is expected tobe retrieved.
 3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the request comprisesa previously submitted order for multiple instances of the specifiedbrewed beverage, and wherein the order comprises a pre-determinedschedule of two or more times at which an instance of the specifiedbrewed beverage is to be retrieved.
 4. The apparatus of claim 1, whereinin response to determining that production of the specified brewedbeverage is complete, the controller is further configured to send anindication to a customer on whose behalf the beverage was produced thatthe beverage is ready to be retrieved.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the request comprises an order that was speculatively placed bythe controller on behalf of a customer dependent on an order history forthe customer, or an order that was speculatively placed by thecontroller dependent on a demand history for the apparatus.
 6. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus comprises or iscommunicatively coupled to a data store; wherein the data storecomprises, for each of one or more customers, information indicating oneor more of: an order history, one or more drink preferences, one or morelocation preferences, or one or more delivery time preferences; andwherein the specified brewed beverage is selected from among beveragesidentified in the order history of the customer on whose behalf therequest is made or in the one or more drink preferences of the customeron whose behalf the request is made.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein determining a time at which to perform one or more of theplurality of chemical or mechanical processes comprises determining apriority of the request with respect to a priority of one or more otherrequests for brewed beverages that have been received but for whichproduction of the requested brewed beverages have not yet beencompleted.
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the request indicates atime at which the specified brewed beverage is expected to be retrieved,and wherein determining a time at which to perform one of the one ormore of the plurality of chemical or mechanical processes is dependenton the indicated time.
 9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thecontroller is configured to determine, dependent on an actual orexpected demand for brewed beverages, a time at which to present thespecified brewed beverage subsequent to its production, and furtherwherein determining a time at which to present the specified brewedbeverage comprises determining whether a customer on whose behalf therequest was made is currently in the vicinity of the apparatus.
 10. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to determine,dependent on an actual or expected demand for brewed beverages, a timeat which to present the specified brewed beverage subsequent to itsproduction, and further wherein determining a time at which to presentthe specified brewed beverage comprises: storing the specified brewedbeverage in a staging area; and in response to receiving an indicationthat a customer on whose behalf the request was made is ready toretrieve the specified brewed beverage, determining that the specifiedbrewed beverage should be presented.
 11. The apparatus of claim 10,wherein the staging area within which the specified brewed beverage isstored has a temperature within a pre-determined range of temperaturesthat encompasses a temperature at which the specified brewed beverageshould be held until it is presented.
 12. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the controller is further configured to effect discarding thespecified brewed beverage in response to determining that the specifiedbrewed beverage has not been retrieved within a pre-determined timeperiod following its production or in response to determining that thetemperature of the specified brewed beverage is no longer within anacceptable range of temperatures for presentation of the specifiedbrewed beverage.
 13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller isfurther configured to communicate a status of the production of thespecified brewed beverage or an expected completion time for productionof the specified brewed beverage to a customer on whose behalf thebeverage is being produced prior to production of the specified brewedbeverage being completed.
 14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein thecontroller is further configured to determine a time at which to performa clean-in-place process for one or more of the mechanical components.15. A method, comprising: performing by a computer: receiving a requestto produce a specified brewed beverage; effecting the production of thespecified brewed beverage by a beverage generation apparatus; whereinproducing the specified beverage comprises performing one or morechemical or mechanical processes, and wherein at least one of the one ormore chemical or mechanical processes can be performed while one of thechemical or mechanical processes is being performed as a contributingprocess in the production of the specified brewed beverage or anotherbrewed beverage; and effecting the presentation of the specified brewedbeverage by the beverage generation apparatus subsequent to completionof the production of the specified brewed beverage; wherein effectingthe production of the specified brewed beverage comprises determining,dependent on an actual or expected demand for brewed beverage, a time atwhich to perform one of the one or more chemical or mechanical processesand further wherein in response to determining that the one of the oneor more chemical or mechanical processes should be performed at aparticular time in the future, the effecting production of the specifiedbrewed beverage further comprises moving the specified brewed beveragein a partially completed form to a staging area and storing thespecified brewed beverage therein until the particular time.
 16. Themethod of claim 15, wherein determining a time at which to perform oneor more chemical or mechanical processes is dependent on a priority ofthe request with respect to a priority of one or more other requests forbrewed beverages that have been received but for which production of therequested brewed beverages have not yet been completed or is dependenton an indication of a target time for retrieval of the specified brewedbeverage.
 17. The method of claim 15, wherein effecting the productionof the specified brewed beverage further comprises determining,dependent on an actual or expected demand, a time at which to presentthe specified brewed beverage subsequent to its production, and furtherwherein determining a time at which to present the specified brewedbeverage comprises determining whether a customer on whose behalf therequest was made is currently in the vicinity of the beverage generationapparatus.
 18. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage mediumstoring program instructions that when executed on one or more computerscause the one or more computers to perform: receiving a request toproduce a specified brewed beverage; effecting the production of thespecified brewed beverage by a beverage generation apparatus, whereinproducing the specified beverage comprises performing one or morechemical or mechanical processes, and wherein at least one of the one ormore chemical or mechanical processes can be performed while one of thechemical or mechanical processes is being performed as a contributingprocess in the production of the specified brewed beverage or anotherbrewed beverage; and effecting the presentation of the specified brewedbeverage by the beverage generation apparatus subsequent to completionof the production of the specified brewed beverage; wherein effectingthe production of the specified brewed beverage comprises determining,dependent on an actual or expected demand for brewed beverages, a timeat which to perform one of the one or more chemical or mechanicalprocesses, and further wherein in response to determining that the oneof the one or more chemical or mechanical processes should be performedat a particular time in the future, the effecting production of thespecified brewed beverage further comprises moving the specified brewedbeverage in a partially completed form to a staging area and storing thespecified brewed beverage therein until the particular time.
 19. Thestorage medium of claim 18, wherein effecting the production of thespecified brewed beverage further comprises determining, dependent on anactual or expected demand, a time at which to present the specifiedbrewed beverage subsequent to its production, and further whereindetermining a time at which to perform one of the one or more chemicalor mechanical processes is dependent on one or more of: a priority ofthe request with respect to a priority of the one or more other requestsfor brewed beverages that have been received but for which production ofthe request brewed beverages that have been received but for whichproduction of the requested brewed beverages have not yet beencompleted; an indication of a target time for retrieval of the specifiedbrewed beverage; or a determination that resources are not available toperform the one of the one or more of the plurality of chemical ormechanical processes.